Hong Xiaoping left academia in 2023 to start a company during the lowest point of the venture capital cycle. Global startup investment had fallen 38% the year before, putting pressure on investors and founders. Still, a shift was underway. ChatGPT had arrived, and artificial intelligence was advancing at a pace few had anticipated. Even within the university setting, Hong could sense momentum building.
At the time, he was an assistant professor living a stable and respectable life. When he persuaded his family to support his decision to branch out, he told his wife:
“If I don’t do this, I’ll regret it.”
His career path makes that choice less surprising. After earning his PhD at the University of California, Berkeley, he began thinking about entrepreneurship during his postdoctoral work. That curiosity pushed him to leave academia for Honeywell, where he researched sensors. In 2016, he returned to China and joined DJI, where he led a team that built a LiDAR (light detection and ranging) unit from the ground up. By 2019, he was back in academia at the Southern University of Science and Technology.
His three years at DJI left a lasting impact. Hong realized that individuals could build strong products. They were not always groundbreaking, but they addressed real problems and moved technology forward.
So when AI came into focus, Hong asked himself what technology should do for people, what role he should play, and how robotics could become a more grounded force for good. Remaining a bystander no longer felt acceptable. In 2023, he teamed up with former DJI colleagues to launch a mobility startup under the brand Strutt. The name comes from the word “strut” to evoke confident movement.
Since 2023, Strutt has been developing a single product: the EV1, stylized as “ev1.” It is an unconventional device. It does not resemble a traditional wheelchair. Its design is sleek and contemporary, with the solid feel of a car seat. Riders appear to exert little effort as they move forward.
Its unusual form has not deterred investors. According to 36Kr, Strutt recently raised pre-Series A funding, bringing its total financing to an eight-figure USD sum. Investors include Matter Venture Partners and Vertex Ventures. On November 13, the company formally launched the EV1 in San Francisco, US.
Few founders enter the electric wheelchair market today. It lacks the appeal of electric bikes or the lightweight feel of electric scooters. The typical user base is relatively fixed, including people with limited mobility, disabled individuals, and older adults. It is not a glamorous business, but it meets a clear need. The World Health Organization reported in 2020 that 3.3 out of every 1,000 Americans use a wheelchair each year. The aging population in the US continues to grow, sustaining demand for mobility solutions.
Globally, the United Nations estimates that more than one billion people live with some form of disability. That figure excludes older adults with mobility limitations caused by illness. Hong hopes robotics can give these groups more freedom, independence, and dignity.
But he does not see the EV1 as only an electric wheelchair. Its broader ambition is to serve people with mobility challenges and those seeking a personal mobility device. Over time, it could evolve into a home companion robot.
36Kr spoke with Hong about Strutt, the market, and how technological change may shape humanity’s future.
The following transcript has been edited and consolidated for brevity and clarity.
36Kr: You have worked in both corporate and academic settings. How has that shaped your foundation as a founder?
Hong Xiaoping (HX): After graduating with my PhD, I did not want to stay on the academic track. I wanted to work on something tangible, something that combined technology, humanity, and the dream of making a difference.
36Kr: Funding conditions weren’t great in 2023. Why start then?
HX: The timing was right. I understood what I wanted to build, the industry infrastructure was in place, and I was seeing research with enormous potential. From my past experience, practical deployment matters. So I decided it was time.
36Kr: How long did the decision take?
HX: I did not spend much time convincing myself. I spent far more time convincing my wife and family. I told them it was something I had to do, and if I don’t do this, I’ll regret it.
36Kr: Your father is an engineer and your mother is a nurse. Did their work influence this product?
HX: Absolutely. My father builds things that real people can use. My mother is meticulous and deeply caring. Growing up in the hospital with her, I saw how many people needed help.
My background and academic training have always leaned toward technology. I constantly think about how technology can serve humanity, and how it can become an everyday tool that helps people. Society should be inclusive. Whatever someone’s physical condition or occupation, they deserve freedom, independence, and dignity. I hope robotics can support those values.
36Kr: Did your experience at DJI shape this generation of products?
HX: Definitely. DJI’s pursuit of product excellence shaped us. When we built assisted driving systems, our early models braked abruptly because our safety margin was too high. We initially modeled the vehicle as a standard automotive bounding box, but it was too large to move accurately. So we developed a detailed 3D model to enable precise obstacle avoidance in tight 3D spaces. Another team might have stopped there, but we wanted to get it right.
36Kr: What was most valuable after leaving DJI?
HX: The privilege of working with talented young people who are idealistic, smart, and unafraid to try new things. When no one knows how to build something entirely new, first principles matter. Rapid validation and iteration lead to best-in-class performance.
DJI gives engineers freedom and resources with few constraints. That environment is rare. I am grateful for it.
36Kr: You started in 2023 and spent two or three years developing this product?
HX: We have been developing it for two years. The first year focused on platform technologies, the second on refinement. From day one, we conducted user research. Because none of us rely on this product full time, we needed deep empathy. Outside of management, I spent most of my time talking with users and testing the product with them to identify issues. Although we are not yet selling, users who have tried it offer strong feedback.
36Kr: For older adults or people with disabilities, specialized tech products still seem rare. When did you realize this was what you wanted to do?
HX: Many have explored eldercare or disability products, but few have merged them with advanced consumer technology. There are two barriers: technology-product fit and product-market fit. Can the technology become a product, and can that product meet real market needs? Both are difficult.
In the silver economy, few companies prioritize strong products. I believe defining the product clearly matters more than defining the demographic or the technology. The product is the bridge between people and technology.
36Kr: How did you make that match?
HX: The need is clear. Globally, aging is accelerating, and fewer young people want to work in caregiving. That’s a real social crisis, which means strong demand. But identifying the exact point to address is critical. The product must be specialized, meet real needs, and still allow room for future expansion.
We started by focusing on mobility. Mobility matters to everyone. When a person can’t leave the house or loses physical function, quality of life drops quickly.
People have all kinds of mobility needs. We identified key pain points: making personal mobility easier to drive, safer, and more comfortable across indoor and outdoor environments. Those situations are complex and require intelligent systems. That’s why we believe smart capabilities offer genuine value.
36Kr: After researching existing products, what pain points stood out?
HX: Electric wheelchairs don’t meet many users’ needs. Many people don’t actually need a wheelchair. They might simply struggle with walking or want to enjoy an expo. They don’t identify with the wheelchair category, which is socially associated with disability. We want to offer dignity and freedom.
But the toughest issue is joystick control. It’s hard to drive precisely. Users crash, get stuck in narrow areas, or even tip over.
The challenges are twofold: steering and speed. A joystick has short travel and high sensitivity. Even a small movement can create dramatic changes in turning radius, which is difficult for older users. Speed control is similar. It’s either zero or full throttle. There’s little in between.
Caption: Photo source: Strutt.
36Kr: The EV1 uses LiDAR, which is usually found on drones or cars. How did you decide to apply it to a mobility device?
HX: We didn’t start with LiDAR. We started with a question: how do we build a better robot, especially in an aging, low-birth-rate world?
Robotics has advanced tremendously, and the next decade will accelerate even more. Large language models (LLMs), embodied intelligence, and multi-sensor fusion are all maturing. We’re entering a golden age of robotics. So we asked ourselves, how do we use this for human benefit?
During development, we realized the EV1 is more than an electric wheelchair. Its design, technology, user base, and experience go far beyond traditional definitions. We see it as a personal mobility device. Drones and automotive driving systems are highly intelligent today, but personal mobility tools have not kept pace. Electric wheelchairs date back to the last century.
If mobility devices can help more people, and if intelligence plays a central role, they can support aging societies.
36Kr: One standout feature is the copilot system. Why choose a shared control model?
HX: Many older users value control. They want authority over their movement. Preserving that control is essential. From a safety perspective, we also do not want full automation without user override.
Our model is closer to “Level 2.9,” where humans and systems jointly control the device. The copilot has two functions: stopping before obstacles while users steer, and subtle trajectory correction when joystick input is insufficient. This is helpful when users explore unfamiliar spaces.
They want the machine to act as their “legs,” while they decide where to go.
36Kr: What’s the most challenging part?
HX: The underlying technology. A strong copilot requires a complete intelligent driving system. The machine must map its surroundings, recognize obstacles, plan trajectories, and maintain user intent. We have done extensive research. We may be among the few globally who understand how to implement this effectively.
36Kr: It sounds similar to a robot vacuum, but the environment is more complex?
HX: The main difference is that robot vacuums run fully autonomously. Users do not control them in real time. With a copilot, we must satisfy user intent and safe trajectory planning.
We offer two copilot features, stop and steer, and two autopilot modes. “Pathfinder” lets users select a point on a map for difficult spaces. “Waypoints” store common destinations such as the living room or refrigerator.
We have also integrated LLMs. Users do not always need to specify locations precisely. The system understands context. Over time, it could become a companion that senses the environment, recognizes objects, and understands needs. That goes beyond a wheelchair.
36Kr: If shared control is difficult and hasn’t been done before, were you concerned users wouldn’t accept it?
HX: You cannot judge need only by what users say. You judge it by whether they can give it up after using it. So far, they cannot. That gives us confidence.
In many homes we visited, wheelchairs and scooters leave scratches everywhere. But when asked, users rarely mention driving difficulty. They assume it cannot be solved. Once they try a solution, they realize it can. That shift is valuable.
36Kr: What problems did users consider pain points that you later solved?
HX: Most involve passability, including tight spaces, crowds, slippery grass, small steps, and slopes. Traditional wheelchairs use passive front casters that cannot resist lateral forces, causing instability or risk on slopes.
Users frequently raised this issue. They felt the chassis was not capable enough. So we redesigned it. The front wheels actively steer, the rear wheels drive, and the system handles like a small car, with the ability to pivot in place. No wheelchair has done this before. We added suspension to absorb bumps and improve comfort.
36Kr: Why did traditional wheelchairs avoid powered front wheels?
HX: Wheelchairs have long been defined as medical devices. Their purpose is basic functionality, not comfort or enjoyment. When we tried adding assisted driving to off-the-shelf wheelchairs, they frequently crashed. The wheels could not follow planned trajectories. Steering was inaccurate or uncontrollable. So we redesigned everything. The most controllable architecture is an automotive-style chassis, miniaturized and capable of pivoting.
36Kr: Mobility devices face varied environments. What challenges emerged when applying these technologies?
HX: We weren’t trying to transfer drone technology to wheelchairs. We were trying to build the best personal mobility device. The components we needed happened to exist in drones and automotive robotics.
Cars move on standardized roads. Personal mobility devices navigate far more varied environments: sidewalks, homes, shops. Transitions between indoor and outdoor settings add complexity.
That means sensors must perform differently. Cars need LiDAR to see 200 meters. We need perfect accuracy within five meters. Even a five-centimeter deviation can cause collisions. And we have zero-radius turns, which create new edge cases for planning.
We use a full SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping) system as the backbone.
36Kr: Any other major design choices?
HX: We built the device to handle up to 350 pounds (158.8 kilograms). That requires strong power systems. A light chassis would feel unstable on uneven ground.
Yet it also needs to be portable. So we made it fully modular. It breaks into five parts, with the heaviest under 20 kilograms. That introduces challenges for sensor and power connections across roughly 20 sensors. The device must withstand water, dust, bumps, aging, and user error. Balancing convenience with reliability was tough.
36Kr: Using automotive-grade components must raise costs?
HX: Sensor and motor costs are manageable. We avoid immature processes because any malfunction creates risk. Personal mobility devices are safer than cars because speeds are lower. Regulations usually cap sidewalk speeds at about six kilometers per hour.
36Kr: Is mass production a major challenge?
HX: We are about six months behind schedule because we conducted extensive reliability testing. Industry standards often call for roughly 200,000 cycles on fatigue platforms. We tested two million cycles.
This product is complex and not much simpler than a small car. We built extensive preventive measures to get it right the first time.
36Kr: The EV1 targets overseas markets, and you launched in San Francisco. How are you planning to roll out?
HX: We are a global team headquartered in Singapore. It is an ideal test platform with strong infrastructure, an aging population, and government support. It also blends Eastern and Western cultures. Our first markets will be Singapore and Hong Kong, followed by the US and Europe, where aging populations and demand are high.
36Kr: Why register in Singapore? Is manufacturing expensive there?
HX: Manufacturing is manageable in Singapore. The product is highly automated, so labor and space requirements are low. Singapore can support early production. For large-scale manufacturing, we will evaluate further options. We are global because startups today must be “born global.” Only global companies can build global businesses.
36Kr: Will you rely on online or offline channels?
HX: That’s not finalized yet. Early on, we will rely on channel partners. This is a high-ticket, complex product that must be experienced. Pure online sales are not suitable. Offline channels will matter.
36Kr: What’s your strongest competitive advantage?
HX: We understand the system better than anyone. We do not build only software or only hardware. We choose the right technologies based on product design and user needs.
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This article was written by Leslie Zhang for 36Kr.