https://www.scmp.com/rss/519740/feed Discover how China is becoming a global leader in robotics, integrating automation into industries and daily life. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Eunice Xu Eunice Xu Chinese robotics companies are increasingly banking on quadruped robots as major revenue drivers, a trend highlighted by AgiBot’s recent decision to spin out its four-legged robotics unit into a new subsidiary called AgiQuad, and Amap’s coming launch of a quadruped model. The move by AgiBot was intended to drive large-scale growth so that the unit would not “live in the shadow of the humanoid robot giant”, Qiu Heng, chief operating officer of the new subsidiary, said at a media briefing last... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3350071/chinese-robotics-firms-focus-quadrupeds-major-revenue-drivers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3350071/chinese-robotics-firms-focus-quadrupeds-major-revenue-drivers?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 23:00:19 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren Tesla’s Shanghai Gigafactory, its largest production base, has the potential to build humanoid robots in future, the company’s China president says, with its manufacturing efficiency and innovative capability seen as potential drivers of CEO Elon Musk’s hopes of commercialising the technology swiftly. Allan Wang Hao said in a media briefing on Tuesday that the Shanghai Gigafactory could provide a “golden key” to the mass production of robots designed to resemble and move like humans. “Like other... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3350076/shanghai-gigafactory-has-potential-construct-humanoid-robots-tesla-china-president?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3350076/shanghai-gigafactory-has-potential-construct-humanoid-robots-tesla-china-president?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 13:02:53 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Unitree Robotics, one of China’s largest robot makers, will debut the R1, its cheapest humanoid model, on the international market via Alibaba Group Holding’s AliExpress marketplace next week, according to two sources familiar with the matter on Thursday. The launch would cover major overseas markets including North America, Europe, Japan and Singapore, one of the sources said. The product would later be available on other channels, the second person said. The R1, launched in mainland China last... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3349489/chinas-unitree-debut-cheapest-humanoid-robot-globally-alibaba-site-sources?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3349489/chinas-unitree-debut-cheapest-humanoid-robot-globally-alibaba-site-sources?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 07:30:11 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Chinese ride-hailing company CaoCao, backed by Geely, is betting on a heavy-asset strategy to emerge as a leading robotaxi operator, with plans to deploy 100,000 autonomous vehicles by 2030 as competition intensifies and self-driving technology matures. In an interview with the South China Morning Post, CEO Gong Xin said the future of robotaxis hinged on an asset-management model built around a closed-loop “trinity” of vehicle manufacturing, autonomous driving technology and fleet... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3348985/hong-kong-listed-caocao-hails-fleet-first-strategy-chinas-robotaxi-race-gathers-pace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3348985/hong-kong-listed-caocao-hails-fleet-first-strategy-chinas-robotaxi-race-gathers-pace?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 07:00:09 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow There was a surprise guest speaker at Nvidia’s widely watched GPU Technology Conference (GTC) in San Jose, California, last month: Yang Zhilin, the founder of Beijing-based Moonshot AI, the developer behind the Kimi family of foundational artificial intelligence models. Amid heated rhetoric about US-China AI competition, which some have likened to an “arms race”, the participation of a Chinese AI start-up’s CEO at the flagship event of American chipmaking giant Nvidia might have struck some as... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348973/competition-or-co-opetition-how-convergence-shaping-ai-race-between-china-and-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348973/competition-or-co-opetition-how-convergence-shaping-ai-race-between-china-and-us?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 02:00:12 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren Chinese self-driving technology firm Pony AI plans to launch robotaxi services with partners Uber Technologies and Verne in Zagreb, Croatia, spearheading commercialisation of autonomous cabs in Europe amid an accelerated go-global drive. The three companies aimed to operate a fleet of thousands of robotaxis in various European cities over the next few years after achieving consistent performance and safety, Guangzhou-based Pony said on Thursday. Neither the starting date for the service nor the... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3348026/chinas-pony-ai-launch-robotaxi-service-europe-uber-local-start?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3348026/chinas-pony-ai-launch-robotaxi-service-europe-uber-local-start?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 11:31:20 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren China’s two biggest makers of lidar sensors for cars, Hesai Group and RoboSense Technology, have ramped up investments in robotics products as the country consolidates its leading position in building a global supply chain for the fast-growing sector. Shanghai-based Hesai, the world’s largest producer of lidar sensors that help cars map terrain, planned to spend 200 million yuan (US$28.9 million) this year to design and manufacture “eyes and muscles” for robots, creating a new growth engine... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3347995/chinas-lidar-giants-pivot-robotics-jensen-huang-praises-chinese-supply-chain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3347995/chinas-lidar-giants-pivot-robotics-jensen-huang-praises-chinese-supply-chain?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 09:12:13 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow A “ChatGPT moment” for China’s humanoid robots – the tipping point at which the technology becomes widely usable – remains years away as persistent challenges in adapting to new tasks and training efficiency continue to hold back the industry, leading experts said on Wednesday at the Boao Forum for Asia in Hainan. Despite rapid advances in recent years, humanoid robots were still far from large-scale deployment, with both hardware and software limitations yet to be fully resolved, panellists... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3347864/why-chinas-humanoid-robots-are-still-waiting-their-chatgpt-moment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3347864/why-chinas-humanoid-robots-are-still-waiting-their-chatgpt-moment?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 01:15:07 +0000 Johnny Wan Johnny Wan At a humanoid robotics lab in Beijing, China, engineers of the company X-Humanoid are putting their robots through endurance tests. The robots walk, run and dance during an eight-hour test of their coordination, agility and motor skills. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3347715/inside-beijing-lab-humanoid-robots-are-put-test?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3347715/inside-beijing-lab-humanoid-robots-are-put-test?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 09:38:13 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen China’s Unitree Robotics has filed for a long-awaited initial public offering (IPO) on Shanghai’s Star Market, seeking to raise about 4.2 billion yuan (US$607.8 million). Widely seen as a bellwether for China’s emerging humanoid robotics industry, Unitree’s listing, if approved, could become a landmark test of investor appetite for so-called embodied AI companies. Here is what you need to know about Unitree, including how it makes a profit while peers are still burning cash, its shareholder... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3347611/inside-unitrees-landmark-ipo-what-know-about-chinas-humanoid-giant?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3347611/inside-unitrees-landmark-ipo-what-know-about-chinas-humanoid-giant?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 13:45:08 +0000 Emma Zang Emma Zang China is betting artificial intelligence will solve its labour shortage, as policymakers ramp up a nationwide push to deploy AI and robotics across the economy. But it may be worsening a different problem: the erosion of stable jobs for young workers. China’s push has accelerated investment in industrial automation, installing more than half of the world’s robots in 2024 alone and doubling down on AI-enabled production. The strategy is presented as a necessary response to the demographic... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3347386/why-chinas-ai-automation-push-risky-social-experiment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3347386/why-chinas-ai-automation-push-risky-social-experiment?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 12:30:10 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says the US robotics industry will have to rely on China’s supply chain despite the US pioneering the market, as the company bets on physical AI and looks to return to the Chinese market. “I think China is formidable,” Huang said when asked about the country’s rise in the robotics industry during a podcast hosted by Silicon Valley tech executives. “The reason for that is because their microelectronics, motors, rare earth and magnets – which are foundational to robotics –... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3347427/nvidias-huang-calls-china-formidable-robotics-company-bets-physical-ai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3347427/nvidias-huang-calls-china-formidable-robotics-company-bets-physical-ai?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2026 10:18:16 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen Unitree Robotics, a Hangzhou-based maker of quadruped and humanoid robots, has filed for an initial public offering (IPO) on Shanghai’s Star Market, seeking to raise 4.2 billion yuan (US$610 million) as revenue and profits surge on the back of rising interest in embodied artificial intelligence. The listing application has been formally accepted by Shanghai’s exchange following a “preliminary review” on Friday. The 10-year-old company recorded revenue of 1.71 billion yuan last year, up 335 per... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3347365/chinas-unitree-robotics-rides-humanoid-tide-it-targets-us610m-ipo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3347365/chinas-unitree-robotics-rides-humanoid-tide-it-targets-us610m-ipo?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 13:00:16 +0000 Yeon Woo Lee Yeon Woo Lee Declining fertility rates have long been viewed as a drag on economic growth, but the outlook may not be entirely bleak for Asian economies such as China, South Korea and Japan, analysts said. Demographic pressure was accelerating investment in robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) in these rapidly ageing yet technologically advanced countries, helping offset labour shortages and sustain productivity even as populations shrank, they argued. Analysts at Bank of America (BofA) Global Research... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346475/chinas-ai-adoption-may-limit-economic-fallout-its-rapidly-ageing-population-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346475/chinas-ai-adoption-may-limit-economic-fallout-its-rapidly-ageing-population-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 06:58:35 +0000 Coco Feng,Yulu Ao Coco Feng,Yulu Ao Midea Group, the owner of industrial robot giant Kuka, is the latest Chinese company to pledge heavy investment in AI and robotics – another 60 billion yuan (US$8.7 billion) over the next three years – as traditional industries embrace futuristic technologies. The planned expenditure on research and development, with a focus on “AI, embodied intelligence and other cutting-edge areas”, matched its total spending over the past five years, the company announced in Shanghai on Tuesday. The strategic... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3346234/chinas-midea-pledges-us87-billion-ai-and-robotics-pivot-automation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3346234/chinas-midea-pledges-us87-billion-ai-and-robotics-pivot-automation?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 14:30:10 +0000 Frank Chen Frank Chen With its cutting-edge humanoid robots busting moves on the world’s most-watched television programme and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz touring a company factory during a state visit, both within the last month, Unitree Robotics – already a household name in China – has seen its profile move into the stratosphere. And local government officials, eager to burnish their economies by strengthening ties to up-and-coming businesses, have made the domestic start-up’s founder and CEO Wang Xingxing a... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346115/why-chinas-red-hot-tech-push-leaving-some-traditional-sectors-out-cold?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346115/why-chinas-red-hot-tech-push-leaving-some-traditional-sectors-out-cold?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 22:00:13 +0000 Themis Qi Themis Qi Adrian Cheng Chi-kong, former heir apparent to Hong Kong property giant New World Development (NWD), plans to spend more time in mainland China and increase his tech investments this year, with a focus on a range of sectors from artificial intelligence to aerospace, echoing China’s latest five-year plan. “If our country can realise [the 15th five-year plan], we would be stable and secure, and our future will definitely be promising,” Cheng, who is a member of the Chinese People’s Political... https://www.scmp.com/business/money/markets-investing/article/3345918/hong-kong-tycoon-adrian-cheng-doubles-down-tech-step-chinas-5-year-plan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/money/markets-investing/article/3345918/hong-kong-tycoon-adrian-cheng-doubles-down-tech-step-chinas-5-year-plan?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 06:12:38 +0000 Yulu Ao,Ann Cao,Wency Chen Yulu Ao,Ann Cao,Wency Chen China’s most powerful economic regions – the Yangtze River Delta and the Greater Bay Area – are racing to meet President Xi Jinping’s call for breakthroughs in core technologies including artificial intelligence, as Beijing maps out priorities for the coming 15th five-year plan during the “two sessions”. As part of the annual meeting on Friday, provincial and municipal leaders of Zhejiang province outlined an ambitious strategy to become a key area of AI development and cement the province’s... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3345770/chinas-zhejiang-guangdong-provinces-vie-heed-xi-jinpings-call-innovation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3345770/chinas-zhejiang-guangdong-provinces-vie-heed-xi-jinpings-call-innovation?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 13:41:21 +0000 Ji Siqi,Coco Feng,Xinyi Wu Ji Siqi,Coco Feng,Xinyi Wu On a day typically considered one of the happiest on the calendar for Chinese workers – the eve of Chinese New Year, when families gather for dinner in the midst of an extended public holiday – the annual Spring Festival Gala, the world’s most-watched television programme, left some in the viewing audience with a sense of profound disillusionment. As a troupe of humanoid robots break-danced, flipped, swung swords and performed comedy sketches at the gala, domestic AI brands occupied the show’s... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3344920/iron-rice-bowl-vs-algorithm-why-chinas-economy-may-better-withstand-ai-shock?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3344920/iron-rice-bowl-vs-algorithm-why-chinas-economy-may-better-withstand-ai-shock?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Feb 2026 22:00:19 +0000 Julie Zhang,Yulu Ao Julie Zhang,Yulu Ao Until last year, Fidelity International’s most significant cornerstone commitments on the Hong Kong initial public offering (IPO) market dated back to 2021, when Chinese short-video platform Kuaishou Technology raised US$5.4 billion and healthcare firm Medlive Technology completed a US$543.4 million listing. Then for the next four years, the asset manager went quiet. Late last year it returned to Chinese assets in force. It backed gold miner Zijin Gold International’s US$3.2 billion listing in... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3344890/big-cornerstone-comeback-whats-driving-investors-back-hong-kong-ipos?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3344890/big-cornerstone-comeback-whats-driving-investors-back-hong-kong-ipos?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Feb 2026 02:00:57 +0000 Themis Qi Themis Qi Hong Kong’s tech equity benchmark is struggling to balance the artificial intelligence frenzy and picking the right industry leaders, leading to its underperformance this year, according to analysts. The Hang Seng Tech Index, which comprises 30 technology-related companies including Tencent Holdings, Alibaba Group Holding and Meituan, has fallen 5.5 per cent this year up to Friday, giving up some of last year’s 23.5 per cent gains. In contrast, the broad-based Hang Seng Index has risen 0.3 per... https://www.scmp.com/business/markets/article/3344255/why-hang-seng-tech-index-doldrums-while-ai-shares-are-soaring?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/markets/article/3344255/why-hang-seng-tech-index-doldrums-while-ai-shares-are-soaring?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Feb 2026 01:15:07 +0000 Eunice Xu Eunice Xu US software company OpenMind, according to founder and CEO Jan Liphardt, caused a commotion last year at a park in San Francisco where the firm shot a promotional video. “A crowd of people came, children came running, cars stopped and the police came,” he said, because “there was a robot in the park”. In an interview, Liphardt told the South China Morning Post that such a scenario would have been treated differently on the other side of the world. “If a [Unitree] G1 walked across the street in... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3344172/software-connection-us-firm-opens-doors-global-adoption-chinas-humanoid-robots?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3344172/software-connection-us-firm-opens-doors-global-adoption-chinas-humanoid-robots?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Feb 2026 10:00:15 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Chinese tech companies from Tencent Holdings to AgiBot have named millennials and even Gen Z talent as chief scientists to lead cutting-edge research into artificial intelligence and robotics. The most watched is Vinces Yao Shunyu, who turns 28 this year. He is a former researcher at OpenAI and joined Tencent in December as chief AI scientist under the CEO’s office, reporting directly to president Martin Lau Chi-ping. A graduate of Princeton University and Tsinghua University, Yao was a core... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3343042/chinese-ai-and-robotics-firms-appoint-millennial-and-gen-z-rising-stars-chief-scientists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3343042/chinese-ai-and-robotics-firms-appoint-millennial-and-gen-z-rising-stars-chief-scientists?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Feb 2026 04:00:07 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Consumer interest in robots has surged in China since several leading models appeared on stage at Monday’s Spring Festival Gala, with delivery dates pushed as far back as late April. This development follows the featuring of robots from four domestic firms – Unitree Robotics, Magiclab, Galbot and Noetix – at the event after they signed partnerships reportedly worth around 100 million yuan (US$14 million). One of the biggest beneficiaries was Hangzhou-based Unitree, whose G1 humanoid robots... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3343908/robotics-firms-see-backlog-orders-after-humanoids-steal-show-spring-festival-gala?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3343908/robotics-firms-see-backlog-orders-after-humanoids-steal-show-spring-festival-gala?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Feb 2026 11:00:12 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow China’s Unitree Robotics plans to ship as many as 20,000 humanoid robots this year, up from about 5,500 in 2025, according to chief executive Wang Xingxing, after the company drew global attention with its appearance at Monday night’s Spring Festival Gala. Speaking to domestic tech outlet 36Kr after the show, Wang said global humanoid robot shipments could reach “tens of thousands” this year, with Unitree accounting for roughly 10,000 to 20,000 units of that total. The projection follows another... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3343825/kung-fu-somersaults-and-scale-unitree-eyes-20000-robot-output-2026-after-gala?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3343825/kung-fu-somersaults-and-scale-unitree-eyes-20000-robot-output-2026-after-gala?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 09:32:46 +0000 Dominik Mierzejewski Dominik Mierzejewski As we get ready for the Year of the Horse, preparations for the Spring Festival Gala, the most important event on China’s television calendar, are well under way. Most viewers will see choreography, spectacle and national pride – as well as humanoid robots. Policymakers and markets, however, should see something else: a carefully staged signal of how China’s political economy is positioning for the next cycle of industrial overcapacity – and its global consequences. The gala has become a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3342407/after-solar-panels-and-evs-overcapacity-coming-chinas-robots?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3342407/after-solar-panels-and-evs-overcapacity-coming-chinas-robots?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 08:30:08 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen Before humanoid robots realise their longer-term potential as efficient industrial workers, a more immediate role is emerging in China: on-demand entertainment. For 999 yuan (US$145), customers can now rent a humanoid robot to dance, perform and pose to order. That proposition is being trialled by Botshare – known in Chinese as Qingtianzu, or “Optimus rent” – which last weekend rolled out a “999 yuan robot experience programme for everyone” ahead of Valentine’s Day and the Lunar New... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3342943/factory-floor-dance-floor-humanoids-find-path-market-us145?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3342943/factory-floor-dance-floor-humanoids-find-path-market-us145?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 00:00:15 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Robot vacuum maker Dreame Technology promoted its products at the Super Bowl on Sunday night, becoming the latest Chinese brand after Temu to leverage the game’s influence to crack the North American market. Its 30-second commercial, aired across NBC’s local affiliate network, which exclusively broadcasts the game, showcased Dreame’s ecosystem, from robot vacuums and lawnmowers to a concept hypercar unveiled at the CES trade show in Las Vegas last month. The campaign follows budget shopping site... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3342965/chinese-vacuum-maker-using-temus-playbook-dreams-big-super-bowl-debut?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3342965/chinese-vacuum-maker-using-temus-playbook-dreams-big-super-bowl-debut?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 14:20:11 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren Chinese self-driving technology firm Pony AI has started mass production of a robotaxi co-developed with Toyota, taking an important step forward in commercialising autonomous cabs worldwide. The Guangzhou-based company said on Monday that 1,000 driverless cabs of this kind would roll off the production line this year, to be deployed in top-tier mainland Chinese cities. The cars will reinforce Pony AI’s plan to operate a total robotaxi fleet of more than 3,000 units in various mainland and... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3342953/pony-ai-and-toyota-roll-out-mass-produced-robotaxis-chinas-autonomous-drive-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3342953/pony-ai-and-toyota-roll-out-mass-produced-robotaxis-chinas-autonomous-drive-push?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 12:28:20 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Chinese humanoid robotics companies are doubling down on developing intelligent models, as investors eye advances in robot “brains” as the next step towards real-world commercial use. Shenzhen-based Dobot said on Wednesday that it delivered its third batch of mass produced, full-size humanoid Atom robots, marking a shift from laboratory concept to an industrialised product. Dobot, listed in Hong Kong, said its self-developed Dobot-VLA, a vision-language-action model, enabled Atom to react to... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3342505/chinas-humanoid-robot-makers-pivot-body-brain-commercial-race-heats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3342505/chinas-humanoid-robot-makers-pivot-body-brain-commercial-race-heats?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 01:15:09 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker Xpeng Motors showcased its humanoid robot in front of hundreds of onlookers at a mall in the southern metropolis of Shenzhen over the weekend, but a backwards flop became headlines, reflecting the bumpy journey ahead for such machines. After completing a smooth catwalk to the centre of the audience on Saturday, Iron, the 178cm robot said to walk with humanlike grace, lost its balance and fell backwards when standing still on the stage, according to multiple... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3342102/when-robot-topples-chinas-xpeng-deals-fallout-humanoids-public-plunge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3342102/when-robot-topples-chinas-xpeng-deals-fallout-humanoids-public-plunge?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Feb 2026 11:00:10 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen Elon Musk wants to bring the production of its Optimus robot to the US amid electric carmaker Tesla’s plan to pivot towards manufacturing humanoids, smart machines that could one day serve as part of the workforce at American factories. That ambitious initiative, however, was expected to remain dependent on China’s vast and fast-developing robotics supply chain into the foreseeable future, even as the final assembly of Optimus would be established in the US, according to analysts and industry... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3341953/optimus-chain-chinese-suppliers-form-backbone-teslas-humanoid-robot-initiative?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3341953/optimus-chain-chinese-suppliers-form-backbone-teslas-humanoid-robot-initiative?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Feb 2026 06:00:16 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Chinese fintech giant Ant Group has open-sourced its first artificial intelligence models for robotics, as it steps up efforts to build machine intelligence capable of handling complex real-world tasks. The move signals a deeper push by the Hangzhou-based Ant into embodied intelligence – AI systems designed to perceive, reason and act in physical environments rather than purely digital settings. The company is the fintech affiliate of Alibaba Group Holding, owner of the South China Morning... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3341842/ant-groups-open-source-push-aims-move-robots-lab-demos-real-world-work?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3341842/ant-groups-open-source-push-aims-move-robots-lab-demos-real-world-work?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Jan 2026 13:00:11 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Morgan Stanley expects China’s humanoid robot sales to grow 133 per cent to 28,000 units this year, while noting that falling production costs will gradually make owning robots more accessible. The US investment bank revised its forecast from the 14,000 units previously on the back of the rapid growth of the industry in the world’s second largest economy. The cost of materials to produce robots in China, home to most of the industry’s supply chain, was set to drop 16 per cent this year, the bank... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3341646/morgan-stanley-expects-chinas-humanoid-robot-sales-double-revised-forecast?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3341646/morgan-stanley-expects-chinas-humanoid-robot-sales-double-revised-forecast?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jan 2026 14:00:10 +0000 Ni Tao Ni Tao Hangzhou’s space industry got off to a flying start in 2026. On January 7, China’s leading private rocket firm Space Epoch broke ground on a medium-to-large liquid rocket assembly, testing and reuse facility in Hangzhou’s Qiantang district. Basing this in the port city allows the rockets to be transported by sea to launch areas in the East China Sea and recovered the same way. Logistics alone do not explain the decision. Space Epoch is plugging into an industrial ecosystem Hangzhou has been... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3341303/how-hangzhous-tech-ecosystem-nurtures-dragons-and-rockets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3341303/how-hangzhous-tech-ecosystem-nurtures-dragons-and-rockets?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 08:30:09 +0000 Ben Jiang,Coco Feng Ben Jiang,Coco Feng DJI, a dominant force in the global drone and camera-stabiliser markets that has come under siege from fierce competition and a protracted trade war, is navigating an unprecedented situation: as it grapples with expanded US tariffs and tightened scrutiny, products bearing striking resemblances to its own designs are emerging in the market under other brands. The next “clone” may be a wearable action camera – the Xtra ATTO – which is expected to enter the US market in the first half of the year.... https://www.scmp.com/news/article/3341027/new-dji-clones-raise-eyebrows-china-tech-giant-battles-us-scrutiny?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/article/3341027/new-dji-clones-raise-eyebrows-china-tech-giant-battles-us-scrutiny?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Jan 2026 14:30:07 +0000 Alice Li Alice Li China aims to make breakthroughs in artificial intelligence chips, accelerate 6G development and establish key benchmarks for humanoid robotics, as the country kicks off its new five-year plan prioritising innovation as a key driver of economic growth. To promote the development of the AI industry, the government was targeting breakthroughs in core technologies such as training chips and heterogeneous computing, officials from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) said at a... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3340692/beijing-outlines-tech-push-focus-ai-6g-humanoid-robots?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3340692/beijing-outlines-tech-push-focus-ai-6g-humanoid-robots?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jan 2026 09:08:14 +0000 Iris Deng,Coco Feng,Wency Chen Iris Deng,Coco Feng,Wency Chen China’s Unitree Robotics shipped more than 5,500 humanoid robots in 2025, according to a person with knowledge of the matter, as the Hangzhou-based company ramped up production ahead of its planned listing on the mainland. That number – covering “pure” full-body, bipedal humanoid models – exceeded those of its American peers such as Tesla, Figure AI and Agility Robotics, which shipped 150 humanoid robots each last year, according to market research firm Omdia. Unitree saw its annual output... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3340446/chinas-unitree-ships-more-5500-humanoid-robots-2025-surpassing-us-peers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3340446/chinas-unitree-ships-more-5500-humanoid-robots-2025-surpassing-us-peers?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 12:15:09 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang Chinese humanoid developer UBTech Robotics has struck a deal to supply European aviation giant Airbus with robots for its manufacturing facilities, the latest step in efforts to expand industrial applications of its robots outside China. Airbus purchased UBTech’s Walker S2 robot as part of a plan to jointly explore robotics applications in aviation manufacturing, Shenzhen-based UBTech said in a statement on Sunday. The deal follows a similar partnership last month with US semiconductor maker... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3340379/chinas-ubtech-partners-airbus-bring-humanoid-robots-aviation-manufacturing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3340379/chinas-ubtech-partners-airbus-bring-humanoid-robots-aviation-manufacturing?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 05:05:49 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Hong Kong took another big step in its journey to become an international tech hub on Friday, as the city basked in its inaugural turn as host of a summit under the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC). In his video address to the conference held in the Hong Kong Science Park, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said: “We must harness the power of AI, not just to innovate, but to build – to build more inclusive economies, more resilient communities and a more sustainable future for... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3340211/hong-kongs-pivot-hi-tech-development-gets-boost-city-hosts-global-ai-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3340211/hong-kongs-pivot-hi-tech-development-gets-boost-city-hosts-global-ai-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jan 2026 13:15:08 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng China accounted for more than four out of five humanoid robot installations globally in 2025, driven by domestic start-ups AgiBot and Unitree Robotics, as mass production and commercialisation accelerated, according to a report by Counterpoint Research. A total of 16,000 humanoid robots were installed globally in 2025, mainly for data collection and research, as well as in the logistics, manufacturing, and automotive sectors, according to Counterpoint data released on Wednesday. The market was... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3340142/china-dominates-global-humanoid-robot-market-over-80-installations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3340142/china-dominates-global-humanoid-robot-market-over-80-installations?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jan 2026 09:00:10 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Shanghai-based AgiBot topped global humanoid robot shipments in 2025, with nearly a 38 per cent share, as China’s robotics firms dominated the market, leaving in the dust major US players like Elon Musk’s Tesla. According to data released on Thursday by Omdia, AgiBot shipped 5,168 humanoid robots last year to lead five other Chinese companies in the research firm’s top 10 list. Unitree Robotics, headquartered in Hangzhou, ranked second with 4,200 humanoids shipped last year, which accounted for... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3339346/chinese-firms-outpace-us-rivals-2025-humanoid-robot-shipments-agibot-takes-lead?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3339346/chinese-firms-outpace-us-rivals-2025-humanoid-robot-shipments-agibot-takes-lead?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jan 2026 12:00:18 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng A robot developed by a Chinese company has successfully performed a biliary surgery on a 30kg pig, using an AI model to perform the procedure autonomously. The experiment, which took place on December 24, was conducted by Shanghai MicroPort MedBot, using its Toumai robot powered by the proprietary Neuron multimodal surgical model, the company said in a post on Wednesday. The core surgical procedures, including bile duct clamping and cutting, were performed autonomously by the Medbot, which... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-future-tech/ai/article/3339042/ai-surgery-chinese-robot-conducts-complex-operation-pig-without-human-intervention?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-future-tech/ai/article/3339042/ai-surgery-chinese-robot-conducts-complex-operation-pig-without-human-intervention?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Jan 2026 09:00:12 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen China’s humanoid robot and artificial intelligence hardware makers are expected to be out in force next week at CES, the annual consumer electronics trade show in Las Vegas, to show their latest innovations to a global audience amid an escalating US-China tech rivalry. Nearly a dozen well-known humanoid robot manufacturers – including Unitree Robotics, AgiBot, Galbot, Engine AI, Noetix Robotics and state-backed X-Humanoid, also known as the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Centre – are expected... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3338600/chinas-humanoid-robot-makers-hong-kong-start-ups-set-dazzle-ces-2026?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3338600/chinas-humanoid-robot-makers-hong-kong-start-ups-set-dazzle-ces-2026?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Jan 2026 03:00:10 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang On the last day of 2025, DeepSeek published a new technical paper, with founder and CEO Liang Wenfeng among the 19 co-authors, about “manifold-constrained hyper-connections” – a general framework for training artificial intelligence systems at scale, which suggested “promising directions for the evolution of foundational models”. That release was a fitting reminder to the world, especially during the peak of the Christmas holiday season, about Chinese AI companies’ sharpened focus on innovation... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3338528/tech-war-china-takes-confident-strides-develop-more-ai-innovation-2026?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3338528/tech-war-china-takes-confident-strides-develop-more-ai-innovation-2026?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Jan 2026 03:00:22 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong China is expected to solidify its position as a hi-tech manufacturing powerhouse over the next decade as it edges closer to “innovation and excellence” alongside the United States, Germany and Japan, according to new reports issued by Chinese institutions. The documents, published on Tuesday, stated that China had achieved its “strategic goal” of becoming the world’s fourth-most-advanced “manufacturing power” in 2024, adding that the sector would play a central role in “real” economic... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3338302/chinas-next-decade-cement-status-hi-tech-manufacturing-powerhouse-reports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3338302/chinas-next-decade-cement-status-hi-tech-manufacturing-powerhouse-reports?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:15 +0000 Eunice Xu Eunice Xu Chinese household appliances maker Dreame Technology will present gifts of gold and a trip to Antarctica to employees, on top of their year-end bonuses, as the company boosted its position as one of the world’s leading vendors of robot vacuum cleaners. The additional largesse was revealed over the weekend by Dreame founder and CEO Yu Hao in two WeChat Moments posts. Yu said every employee will receive a one-gram gold bonus in addition to their standard year-end payout. The company also planned... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3338029/chinese-robot-vacuum-maker-dreame-gives-gifts-gold-and-trip-antarctica-employees?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3338029/chinese-robot-vacuum-maker-dreame-gives-gifts-gold-and-trip-antarctica-employees?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Dec 2025 11:00:10 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng One of the biggest moments for China’s booming robotics industry this year was the catwalk performance by carmaker Xpeng’s new humanoid robot: it was so lifelike that founder He Xiaopeng had to unzip its back to prove there was no person inside. The reveal exposed what was under the covers: bionic “muscles” that enable such uncanny lifelikeness, made possible by the 3D printing technology and high-performance materials from Chinese start-up PollyPolymer. Wang Wenbin, founder and chairman of... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3337880/how-chinese-start-scaling-3d-printing-sneakers-robots?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3337880/how-chinese-start-scaling-3d-printing-sneakers-robots?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Dec 2025 23:00:10 +0000 Wency Chen,Coco Feng Wency Chen,Coco Feng China’s biggest tech companies and a clutch of fast-rising consumer electronics brands are battling for coveted sponsorship slots at the Spring Festival Gala, as intensifying competition in artificial intelligence turns the country’s most watched television broadcast into a rare nationwide marketing battleground. Major players including ByteDance, Tencent Holdings and Alibaba Group Holding had all held discussions with state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) over high-stakes... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3337806/tech-giants-go-prime-time-fight-chinas-biggest-audience?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3337806/tech-giants-go-prime-time-fight-chinas-biggest-audience?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Dec 2025 11:00:08 +0000 Eunice Xu Eunice Xu Chinese humanoid robot maker UBTech Robotics is moving to lock down key manufacturing capacity, agreeing to pay nearly 1.7 billion yuan (US$237 million) in cash to take control of Shenzhen-listed mechanical component maker Zhejiang Fenglong as it pushes to scale up humanoid robot production. The two-stage deal will begin with UBTech acquiring a 29.99 per cent stake in Fenglong from existing shareholders for 1.16 billion yuan, followed by a voluntary partial offer to buy a further 13.02 per cent... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3337708/ubtechs-us237-million-fenglong-deal-tightens-humanoid-robot-supply-chain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3337708/ubtechs-us237-million-fenglong-deal-tightens-humanoid-robot-supply-chain?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Dec 2025 12:00:16 +0000