Shape-shifting T1 personal robot transforms from humanoid to robot dog to climb stairs

A robot that walks upright one moment and drops to all fours the next sounds like science fiction. But the T1, a new home robot, does exactly that, shifting between two distinct forms depending on the task or terrain.

The T1 sidesteps the humanoid design crowding today's robotics market, instead offering what its makers call a Transformer architecture. It can shake your hand, recognize your voice, remember you over time, and even tutor you in a foreign language.

Its makers are opening experience stores across major Chinese cities, and the T1 is set to appear at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference expo in Shanghai later this month.

There's just one notable gap in the story: price. In a market suddenly flush with robotic helpers, cost could be the deciding factor for consumers. And on that, the company isn't saying a word.