XPeng Robot Takes a Catwalk-Style Stroll in a Mall, Stumbles, and Sparks Online Teasing—XPeng President Responds

At a recent public showcase at MixC Shenzhen Bay, XPeng’s Iron robot stepped into the spotlight with a polished runway-style walk designed to bring cutting-edge robotics closer to everyday life.

Dressed in a sleek black formal outfit, the robot performed a “catwalk” routine in the center of the mall. Its gait appeared impressively humanlike—smooth, natural, and notably free of the stiff, mechanical pauses people often expect from robots.

Mid-performance, however, an unexpected moment occurred: the robot stumbled and fell. Staff quickly moved in and carried the robot off the floor, ending that segment of the demonstration.

The incident immediately drew attention online. One content creator posted a mocking reaction, joking that it fell within seconds and questioning whether the show was already over.

At the same time, many viewers responded with understanding—and even encouragement. Some argued that moments like this only reinforce that it’s genuinely a robot performing, noting that XPeng has previously gone to visible lengths to prove the robot wasn’t a person in costume. Others took a broader view, saying technological progress naturally comes with setbacks and that they remain optimistic about the company’s robotics development.

A number of comments even highlighted the way it fell, suggesting that its motion looked more “human” than other robots that, after toppling, may show more rigid or erratic recovery behaviors.

In response, Thomas (XPeng executive) (XPeng’s vice president, posting under the handle “托馬斯電火車”) explained that Iron had been walking and demonstrating repeatedly that day—particularly for local residents and children—so people could experience a tangible glimpse of the future.

According to the post, the robot completed many runs successfully, and the fall happened during one of them. The host on-site even used the moment to reflect that the road in life includes setbacks—adding that, after the fall, no one could reasonably suspect it was a human performer.

The executive acknowledged the online teasing as understandable and said the critical post had been forwarded directly to the robotics R&D team—framing it as motivation to keep improving. The message was clear: public demos are real-world tests, and the team intends to keep pushing forward.