This year at the Elden Ring. But instead of being a mystical spirit steed that can double jump, it's a robot horse with LED horns that can deploy an aerial drone from its back.
According to etnews, the Vex is a robot with a 100kg load capacity designed for transporting people and things, like an artificial pack mule/mountain goat hybrid. The Vex employs wheels for flat surfaces, along with walking around on its four legs to traverse uneven terrains.
The legs can move using V-Sido, a robot control system that allows the generating gait motion so the legs move in an almost locomotive-like cadence. In-wheel mode, the Vex drops down to its knees where the wheels are in case it's in a hurry. Another wheel pops out of its belly for stability.
According to Kawasaki Heavy Industries, the Vex can link up with a network of autonomous delivery robots and successfully had the K-Racer unmanned drone take off and land on its back in a test last year. The idea is that, in theory, the Vex can climb rough and harsh terrain at high elevations to deliver cargo or deploy a drone in areas too unsafe for people or vehicles to get to.
I don't know about you, but as soon as I hear it can 'deploy' anything, I fear that the Vex can go from being this cute robot horse that can deliver beer to the mountains to a cute robot horse with a minigun on its back like the robot dogs in Battlefield 2042. The Witcher 3's Roach and especially Metal Gear Solid 5's D-Horse must be envious of the versatility.
I know what you're about to ask. Yes, you can ride the robot horse. The Vex can be operated on board with a steering wheel, oddly, or remotely using a joystick. Whether it's as fun to ride like those things in Horizon Zero Dawn, I can't say. But one day, I hope to ride the Vex.
