WTF?! Kawasaki has a wild idea that’ll make you do a double-take to see if it is a joke. Dubbed Corleo, it is a robotic horse powered totally by a hydrogen-fueled engine – and sure, you may truly experience it and steer utilizing your physique. That is proper, the Japanese motorbike producer has unveiled a mechanical animal which may simply dispense water out the rear.
A video presents a glimpse into the capabilities of this cyber-horse. The car, which suspiciously resembles a Kawasaki Ninja motorbike however with legs as a substitute of wheels, is seen galloping throughout inexperienced fields at spectacular speeds, carrying not one, however two people on its again.
Kawasaki says the robotic’s rear legs transfer independently from the entrance legs, permitting it to soak up shocks whereas strolling or operating. That may clarify the way it’s additionally seen scaling mountains within the video – as soon as once more, with an individual using on its again.
As a substitute of tires, the robotic options rubber “hooves,” which assist take in floor irregularities. In response to Kawasaki, these hooves enable it to adapt to quite a lot of terrains, together with grasslands, rocky areas, and rubble fields. And as for controls, you would possibly count on one thing with a windscreen up entrance to steer with handlebars – however no. Kawasaki says the robotic horse is guided by way of weight shifts detected by the stirrups and handlebars, similar to using an actual horse.
Behind the windscreen sits an instrument panel that shows key infographics, together with hydrogen ranges and the robotic’s middle of gravity. It additionally offers navigation assist, with nighttime steerage aided by ground-projected markers that illuminate the trail forward. It is basically the mechanical equal of a organic horse with laser eyes.
The robotic steed attracts its power from a 150cc engine related to a hydrogen canister tucked into the car’s rear. Every leg is provided with its personal drive unit, powered by electrical energy generated from the engine.
🇯🇵Kawasaki unveiled the Corleo robotic horse – its secret venture at EXPO 2025 in Japan.
With a hydrogen engine and neural system for rider steadiness, it is greater than transport – it is a four-legged all-terrain car that jumps throughout mountains and tough terrain. pic.twitter.com/uqLdhm4fSG– Alexandra B 🇺🇸 🏝 (@Alexand36635968) April 5, 2025
As unbelievable because it sounds, the Corleo is not an elaborate April Idiot’s joke. Its unveiling came about shortly after April 1st, with a life-sized idea making an look on the Osaka-Kansai Expo 2025.
And it wasn’t only a static showpiece both – it might truly strike poses, albeit at a glacial tempo. That is a far cry from the breakneck galloping seen within the demo.
It is honest to say the Corleo idea may be too formidable for Kawasaki to deliver to market anytime quickly. Certain, we have seen quadruped robots break velocity information in brief sprints, however these machines are a lot smaller and look extra like Boston Dynamics’ Spot than a full-sized mechanical horse able to carrying two folks.
That mentioned, corporations like Unitree, Determine, and Boston Dynamics have been showcasing know-how that borders on science fiction. So who is aware of? Possibly robotic horses will probably be trotting alongside vehicles on metropolis streets before we predict.
