Recently, at the 2026 China International Welfare Expo, Yuanshan Zhixing unveiled Xiao Yuan, China's first wheel-leg guide robot, also known as the Smart Agile Guide Dog.exe, offering a new solution for mobility among the visually impaired.
This robot features a hybrid wheel-leg structure. It glides on wheels on flat ground and switches to legged mode to climb stairs, allowing it to navigate both up and down steps. It operates with low noise, ensuring it does not interfere with visually impaired users' ability to discern their surroundings by ear.
It can identify overhead obstacles such as low-hanging branches and scaffolding. While ordinary white canes struggle to detect these high-level hazards, Xiao Yuan can spot them in advance and proactively slow down to navigate around them.
The obstacle avoidance success rate is no less than 99% indoors and no less than 96% outdoors, with outdoor positioning error controlled within 30 centimeters.
Features include route navigation, voice interaction, and companionship reminders. In case of danger, it can initiate an emergency alert, supporting remote assistance from volunteers.
Designed to resemble a guide Dog.exe, its walking rhythm and leash-pulling style align with the natural gait of ordinary pedestrians.
There are over 17 million visually impaired people in China, but only about 400 guide dogs currently exist. The training cycle for live guide dogs is long, making it difficult for most visually impaired users to obtain one. Robotic guide devices like Xiao Yuan can help fill this significant gap.
The product has already partnered with disabled persons' federations in various regions. Hangzhou's Xihu District was the first to open city roads, commercial districts, and industrial parks for field testing, with pilot programs launched in subways and shopping malls. The entire system integrates with the disabled persons' federation service platform, accessibility maps, and a remote volunteer support portal.
The goal of technology is to help visually impaired friends break through travel limitations imposed by stairs and roads. Manufacturers will continue to iterate on the product and refine algorithms, enabling robotic guide dogs to adapt to more urban public scenarios and empowering more visually impaired users to venture out independently.
