Shanghai Weixin launches Qiyuan personal robots starting at 19,999 yuan, shipments begin Oct 1

On September 20, Shanghai Wei New Materials held a themed launch event for its "robot" lineup, officially releasing two personal robots: the Qiyuan Q1 and Qiyuan T1. The base versions of both models are priced at 19,999 yuan. The Q1 Explorer Edition is priced at 26,999 yuan, and the T1 Pro at 29,999 yuan. Shipments will begin on October 1, in order of purchase.

The first batch of authorized experience stores will cover seven cities: Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Xiamen, Wuhan, and Xi'an, allowing consumers to experience the products up close.

Balancing Safety with Creative Freedom

The safety of personal robots must be ensured while also leaving room for users to personalize and create. At the same time, as household needs continue to evolve, a scalable robot ecosystem is needed to provide long-term support.

Focus on Companion Interaction: "Fun" First, Then "Useful"

"There is an unwritten consensus in the robotics industry: it's easy to enter factories, but hard to enter homes," said Tian Hua, CEO of Shanghai Wei New Materials, at the launch event. Industrial environments are structured and relatively simple, while homes present highly complex, unstructured environments.

For this reason, the newly launched Q1 and T1 robots are primarily designed for family education and companionship.

Tian Hua acknowledged at the event that home robots are not yet capable of handling all household chores. The realistic path for the industry is to first achieve "fun," then continuously iterate through real home use, gradually becoming "useful." As the interaction medium of the AI era shifts, personal robots—equipped with perception, mobility, and execution capabilities—are seen as a key candidate for the next generation of interaction, following screen-based interactions on smartphones and tablets.

Full-Stack Technology: One Robot Every 2.5 Minutes

Behind the products, Qiyuan also unveiled its full-stack technology layout, covering robot hardware, motion control, multimodal perception, and interaction.

On the hardware side, leveraging Shanghai Wei New Materials' material R&D and manufacturing capabilities, Qiyuan applies lightweight, high-rigidity composite materials to its robots. It has also developed a self-designed QDD quasi-direct drive joint, roughly the size of an egg, balancing precision and compliant control.

On the AI model side, Qiyuan released three core models: PrimeMotion, a compliant and safe motion control model; PrimeGo, a multimodal perception and following model; and PrimeVista, a multimodal interaction model. In addition, a robot agent based on the Harness architecture and PrimeMind, a household task-oriented foundation model, are also under development.

From "making" to "delivering," mass production capability is a critical step for personal robots to reach consumers. The event revealed that Qiyuan has introduced automotive-grade manufacturing processes, achieving a production rate of one robot every 2.5 minutes.

The Product Is Just the Start; the Ecosystem Determines How Far Robots Can Go

If robots are treated merely as one-time electronic products, their potential is limited.

The "Qiyuan Star Ecosystem Plan" announced at the event proposes a total investment of 1 billion yuan over the next five years to drive industry collaboration. The ecosystem includes multiple platforms for general users, creators, and developers:

• PrimeFLOW: A design platform allowing users to customize robot shells, turning personalized ideas into physical accessories.
• PrimeStore: A skill store featuring partners such as Himalaya, QQ Music, Youdao, JD Health, and Ctrip.

Talent development is also a key part of the ecosystem. Qiyuan has partnered with Peking University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and Zhejiang University to establish joint laboratories and industry-education integration platforms, bridging the gap between academic research and industrial application to cultivate interdisciplinary talent in embodied intelligence.

However, it is important to note that the consumer-grade personal robot industry is still in its early stages. Home environments are highly unstructured, and challenges such as complex household tasks, environmental adaptation, and long-term maintenance remain unresolved. These new home robots primarily serve as companion interaction and development experiment platforms. Whether they can deliver sustained value to households and whether the ecosystem can continuously generate practical skill applications will require long-term market validation.

(Source: Shangguan News)