Oct 26, 2026

XPENG IRON switches greetings when you do

XPENG's IRON humanoid switches from a handshake to a fist bump when you do. It's an R&D test version, and XPENG hasn't shared a success rate.

Sir Toastimir

Footage: XPENG

What it is

IRON is a humanoid robot from XPENG, the Chinese electric-car maker. In a video posted October 22, a tester offers a handshake, switches to a fist bump, then moves into a high-five. IRON switches along with them each time. When the high-five moves out of reach of one arm, IRON reaches with its other hand. Nobody says a word: it follows hand gestures, not voice commands.

How it works, per XPENG

XPENG says IRON runs its VLA 2.0 system, an AI that links what the robot sees to how it moves. It re-checks what it sees every 0.2 seconds, or five times a second, and keeps adjusting its arm instead of waiting for one gesture to finish. Think of a dance partner who follows your lead.

What to keep in mind

The footage is labeled an R&D test version. XPENG hasn't shared a success rate or how many attempts were filmed. As Humanoids Daily points out, the 0.2 seconds describes how often IRON updates, not the full time from seeing your hand to moving its own.

Why it matters

Robots that will work around people need to keep up when a person changes their mind halfway through a move. This is a small skill, but a very human one.

Footage in the video

All clips are from XPENG's official video. Links are below.