Future of catwalk? Humanoid robot with robotic dog wows at Shanghai Fashion Week

Rampwalk turns into a sci-fi scene with a tall humanoid robot strutting with a robotic dog on the ramp at Shanghai Fashion Week.

In another futuristic, sci-fi episode of the fashion world, a rather ‘unconventional model’ and its sidekick seized the spotlight on the ramp walk for the collection of NMTG fashion brand. The humanoid robot, along with its robotic dog, debuted at the Shanghai Fashion Week, joining the human models. This unprecedented moment indicates the fashion world’s intuitive pace in tandem with the latest developments in the field of robotics and AI. Let's take a deeper dive into this iconic moment.

What was the robot?

The humanoid robot and the canine companion are from Unitree Robotics. The humanoid robot, also known as Unitree G1, showed impressive strides during the one-of-a-kind catwalk. Unitree G1 wore a metallic bodice with maroon and cream fringes along the hem of the bodice. It's a clever move to incorporate dual-toned fringes as they accentuated the ‘mechanical catwalk’ with the faint sway from the movements. The robotic dog, too, was seen in a frilly lacey fabric wrapped around the torso.

Reactions to the fashion moment

Is this futuristic or downright dystopian? The spectacle sparked much unease, as the comment section did not pass the vibe check of the uber-cool futuristic catwalk. The majority consensus was a big no. One user voiced the fear that all of us harbour in the age-old debate of robots vs. humans and sarcastically said, “Are the models gonna lose their job too?”

Another pointed out the rusty gait of the humanoid and added, “Has that robot just got off a 10-day horse ride?” Meanwhile, someone quipped, “Obviously hasn't mastered the Gisele Bundchen walk yet!" This comment particularly highlighted that even if robots may get featured, they still have a long way to go before coming close to the iconic human models' fierce finesse the rampwalks have seen over time.

The reactions are shocking mostly because this is the first time a humanoid robot has actively dominated the runway, much like human models do. Previously, they were part of live shows on the runway, more passive with a human leading the spectacle.

Not the first time

As mentioned, this may be the first time a humanoid robot has walked the ramp, but it is certainly not the first instance of a humanoid robot being involved in a fashion show. Earlier this year, in March, at the Giuseppe Di Morabito show, supermodel Yasmin Wijnaldum delivered a thought-provoking live performance on the runway by interacting with the world's most advanced humanoid robot, Ameca.