TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — National Taiwan University (NTU) has unveiled Taiwan’s first domestically developed AI robotic dogs Oliver and Dustin on Wednesday (May 29).

Professor Kuo Chung-hsien (郭重顯) from the Department of Mechanical Engineering led the research team in creating the “NTU DogBots,” according to a press release by the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC). The project integrates mechatronics and AI tech, including mechanical design, control engineering, and gait generation, per CNA.

With funding and collaboration from the NSTC, Kuo reported the creation of the 54 cm long, 16 kg pet-type robotic dog Oliver; and the 93 cm long, 40 kg work-type robotic dog Dustin, per RTI.

Oliver and Dustin are equipped with autonomous positioning and navigation capabilities but differ in their functional design. Oliver features motion teaching, and AI vision, and can interact through voice and expression detection, making it suitable for home environments.

Dustin is designed for industrial inspections and item delivery, equipped with industrial sensors (sound, vision, temperature, gas), and integrated with Line Bot for real-time reporting.

Kuo said international development of robotic dogs is a trend, with applications in the U.S. for grid inspections, logistics in South Korea, and even as police assistants in Spain. In contrast, Taiwan has been slow to adopt this technology due to high costs and a lack of customized service applications and AI program development support.

The team said they were motivated by the absence of domestically produced robotic dogs in Taiwan, coupled with severe labor shortages, particularly in traditional and service industries. Priced at NT$1.6 million (US$50,000), Kuo said he hopes to negotiate with Taiwanese manufacturers to reduce costs.