https://www.scmp.com/rss/519765/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 Iris Deng Iris Deng China’s smartphone and electronics supply chain is adapting its expertise to support the country’s fledgling but fast-growing humanoid robotics industry, as component suppliers seek new growth beyond a slowing mobile market. The sector received a glimpse of that crossover after Honor’s humanoid robot D1, a dark-horse entrant from the smartphone maker, won Beijing’s recent robot half-marathon, beating established Chinese robotics names such as Unitree. Honor entered the humanoid robotics sector... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3352212/phones-robots-chinas-supply-chain-eyes-next-growth-curve-humanoid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3352212/phones-robots-chinas-supply-chain-eyes-next-growth-curve-humanoid?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 04:00:17 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang A top US medical anthropologist believes the United States and China must transcend geopolitical tensions and spur a global revolution in “social technology” to survive the looming ageing crisis. Arthur Kleinman, a physician-anthropologist with joint appointments at Harvard University and Harvard Medical School, proposed that the US learn from China’s recent efforts to build a long-term care insurance system, while in return China can take lessons from the US nursing home model. “We have never... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3352222/ageing-dilemma-why-robots-cant-save-us-china-us-cooperation-might?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3352222/ageing-dilemma-why-robots-cant-save-us-china-us-cooperation-might?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 May 2026 12:00:09 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Inside the busy aisles and booths of the Fair Plus robotics trade show in Shenzhen this week, the usual stunt spectacle was replaced by practical tasks: robots sorting supermarket stock, serving popcorn and transporting oversized boxes. Among them, Shenzhen-based X Square Robot showed the real-world ability of its wheel-based humanoids, using the firm’s self-developed Wall-A embodied foundation model to pick up rubbish from the floor and place it in a bin. Currently deployed in on-demand... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3351462/supply-chain-record-growth-shenzhen-dominates-chinas-robotics-landscape?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3351462/supply-chain-record-growth-shenzhen-dominates-chinas-robotics-landscape?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 06:25:18 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang China’s industrial giants are rapidly scaling up the use of AI-powered robots to operate vital infrastructure, with the country’s main grid operator unveiling a blockbuster plan to deploy thousands of bots to handle a range of roles – from inspecting remote substations to performing maintenance on ultra-high-voltage power lines. The State Grid Corporation of China has earmarked 6.8 billion yuan (US$1 billion) for the procurement of embodied intelligence – or artificial intelligence-enabled... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3351323/china-plans-invest-billions-robot-army-run-its-power-grid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3351323/china-plans-invest-billions-robot-army-run-its-power-grid?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 11:00:13 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang Chinese Big Tech firms from Huawei Technologies’ spin-off Honor to Alibaba Group Holding are moving to the forefront of the country’s robotics push as Beijing seeks to spur growth in the sector. Honor, which separated from Huawei in 2020 to focus on smartphones and wearables and only expanded into robotics last year, emerged as the surprise gold medal winner at the second Beijing humanoid half-marathon on Sunday, besting the country’s robotics darlings from Unitree to X-Humanoid. Its Lightning... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3350755/chinese-tech-giants-advance-robotics-push-sector-sees-rapid-growth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3350755/chinese-tech-giants-advance-robotics-push-sector-sees-rapid-growth?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 13:00:12 +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 Shi Huang Shi Huang China looks set to claim another coup in its mission to build AI talent, with one of the world’s top scholars in artificial intelligence for robots listed among PhD supervisors at a Shanghai university. Su Hao, who holds two doctorates – one in mathematics and one in computer science – has appeared on Fudan University’s faculty list as a professor in electronic information specialising in AI. The list, published on March 31, names 322 PhD supervisors appointed this year. Previously, Su was a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349408/one-americas-top-ai-robot-scholars-about-join-chinas-tech-talent-pool?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349408/one-americas-top-ai-robot-scholars-about-join-chinas-tech-talent-pool?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 04:00:08 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Shares of Hong Kong-listed UBTech jumped after the robotics firm reported a surge in 2025 revenue, driven by an explosive 23-fold rise in humanoid robot sales as China’s robotics sector moves into large-scale production. Revenue from full-size embodied intelligent humanoid robots and related services reached 820 million yuan (US$119 million) last year, making it UBTech’s largest business line. That marked a 2,203 per cent increase from a low base of 35.6 million yuan in 2024, according to... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3348635/ubtech-surges-leaps-and-bounds-humanoid-robot-sales-jump-23-fold?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3348635/ubtech-surges-leaps-and-bounds-humanoid-robot-sales-jump-23-fold?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 06:59:28 +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 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 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 Eunice Xu Eunice Xu Artificial intelligence is stepping off the screen and into the physical world, as Chinese engineers integrate OpenClaw, the open-source AI agent that has taken China by storm, into robots capable of executing real-world tasks. Domestic robotics giant Ecovacs unveiled Bajie, a robot integrated with OpenClaw, at the Appliance and Electronics World Expo in Shanghai last week. Equipped with a robotic arm and gripper mounted on a round, vacuum-shaped wheeled base, Bajie demonstrated its ability to... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3346916/how-chinese-robot-makers-are-tapping-openclaw-take-real-world-tasks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3346916/how-chinese-robot-makers-are-tapping-openclaw-take-real-world-tasks?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 00:00:14 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen US artificial intelligence and robotics firms have urged lawmakers to take action against Chinese robot manufacturers – singling out Unitree Robotics – citing increased competition and national security risks, in a sign that humanoid robots may emerge as a new battleground in the widening US-China tech rivalry. China’s speed of advancement in humanoid robots is alarming, and the US government should formulate coordinated policies and strategies to counter Chinese firms’ dominance in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3346942/us-sounds-alarm-over-chinas-humanoid-robots-amid-security-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3346942/us-sounds-alarm-over-chinas-humanoid-robots-amid-security-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 22:00:19 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng China’s industrial robot production accelerated in the first two months of the year, according to government data, amid Beijing’s policy support and industry efforts to promote wider adoption. China produced 143,608 industrial robots in January and February, an increase of 31 per cent from the same period last year, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Monday. The growth outpaced the 27 per cent increase in the same period last year, when production totalled 91,088... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3346775/chinas-industrial-robot-output-accelerates-factories-ramp-deployment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3346775/chinas-industrial-robot-output-accelerates-factories-ramp-deployment?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 13:30:11 +0000 Ling Xin Ling Xin Chinese researchers have proposed a semi-humanoid robot mounted on a wheeled platform as part of key infrastructure for the country’s lunar research station slated to take shape by 2035. Combining mobility with humanlike dexterity, the robot is designed to move across the lunar surface while carrying out delicate operations, from construction and maintenance to scientific experiments, sampling and analysis, according to researchers from the Beijing Institute of Spacecraft System Engineering. Its... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3346317/weird-looking-humanoid-robot-could-help-china-conquer-moon-scientists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3346317/weird-looking-humanoid-robot-could-help-china-conquer-moon-scientists?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 12:00:09 +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,Mia Nurmamat,Ann Cao Coco Feng,Mia Nurmamat,Ann Cao China’s policymakers want the digital economy to account for 12.5 per cent of gross domestic product by 2030, as Beijing accelerates its push to build a modern industrial system anchored in advanced manufacturing. The goal represents a significant increase from the 10.5 per cent share achieved in 2025, which was announced on Thursday during the annual “two sessions” parliamentary meetings and exceeded the initial target. A large part of China’s digital economy – activities facilitated by data,... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3345611/china-bets-ai-manufacturing-integration-narrow-digital-economy-gap-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3345611/china-bets-ai-manufacturing-integration-narrow-digital-economy-gap-us?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 01:00:12 +0000 Wency Chen,Ann Cao Wency Chen,Ann Cao China’s tech leaders, including Xiaomi’s Lei Jun, 360 Security Technology’s Zhou Hongyi and Xpeng’s He Xiaopeng, have put forward policy proposals ahead of the “two sessions”, as Beijing seeks to accelerate development in strategic sectors such as artificial intelligence and robotics. The executives aim to promote the industrial use of humanoid robots, speed up the deployment of AI agents and expand computing infrastructure – areas increasingly viewed as key battlegrounds in the global... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3345372/chinas-tech-leaders-urge-faster-ai-humanoid-robot-adoption-two-sessions-proposals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3345372/chinas-tech-leaders-urge-faster-ai-humanoid-robot-adoption-two-sessions-proposals?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 06:37:05 +0000 Jianlu Bi Jianlu Bi On the eve of the Chinese New Year, the Spring Festival Gala, one of the world’s most-watched television broadcasts, delivered more than just festive entertainment. It served as a high-definition manifesto of China’s “embodied AI” supremacy. International observers, from Reuters to El Pais, watched as humanoid robots from start-ups such as Unitree performed complex martial arts, backflips and synchronised dances. As Beijing-based tech analyst Poe Zhao noted, these humanoids represent the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3344742/how-us-ceded-robotics-economy-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3344742/how-us-ceded-robotics-economy-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 08:30:08 +0000 Eunice Xu,He Huifeng Eunice Xu,He Huifeng Tech giant Xiaomi has tested self-developed humanoid robots for car production, as the company pushes forward with plans to deploy “a large number” of self-developed humanoid robots in its own factories over the next five years, company founder Lei Jun has said. Lei, also Xiaomi’s CEO and chairman, shared an article on Monday about trial operations in the firm’s car production facility, where the robots were said to have operated autonomously for three continuous hours, successfully completing... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3345263/xiaomi-deploy-large-number-humanoid-robots-its-factories-within-5-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3345263/xiaomi-deploy-large-number-humanoid-robots-its-factories-within-5-years?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 08:16:22 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Chinese smartphone maker Honor has unveiled a “robot phone” and its first humanoid assistant ahead of MWC Barcelona, alongside its latest foldable handset, in an aggressive bet on artificial intelligence-powered hardware to stand out in the fierce Android competition. Honor’s AI Robot Phone, which featured a motorised, three-axis gimbal arm, could track motion and interact with users through camera movement, the company said in a preview of the handset on Sunday in Barcelona. The camera arm and... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3345042/chinas-honor-debuts-robot-phone-and-humanoid-companion-push-ai-hardware?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3345042/chinas-honor-debuts-robot-phone-and-humanoid-companion-push-ai-hardware?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 13:01:07 +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 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse German carmaker BMW said on Friday that it planned to deploy two AI-powered humanoid robots in a factory in a pilot programme for the first time this year. Dubbed Aeon and developed by the Swedish company Hexagon, the black-and-white robots stand 1.65 metres (5.4 feet) tall, weigh 60kg (132 pounds) and move on two wheels. They can autonomously manipulate and move components within a factory where the space has been previously fully scanned and digitised. A months-long pilot phase will start this... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3344940/bmw-trial-humanoid-robots-german-factory-china-competition-heats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3344940/bmw-trial-humanoid-robots-german-factory-china-competition-heats?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Feb 2026 18:21:44 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao German Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited China’s eastern tech hub of Hangzhou on Thursday and met leading figures including those from Alibaba Group Holding and Unitree Robotics, signalling growing international recognition of the country’s robotics and artificial intelligence technologies. Merz had lunch and took group photos with local entrepreneurs, including Alibaba CEO Eddie Wu Yongming and Unitree founder and CEO Wang Xingxing, according to a social media account run by Chinese state... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3344835/germanys-merz-meets-chinas-tech-vanguard-including-alibaba-and-unitree-ceos?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3344835/germanys-merz-meets-chinas-tech-vanguard-including-alibaba-and-unitree-ceos?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Feb 2026 06:23:19 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat Xiaomi is doubling down on its five-year plan for core technologies including chips, artificial intelligence and operating systems, aiming to position itself as a deep-tech player amid China’s self-reliance push, while peers such as Li Auto and Xpeng accelerate moves into humanoid robotics. Lei Jun, founder, chairman and CEO of the Beijing-based smartphone and electric vehicle giant, on Tuesday said private technology firms must deepen investment in core technologies and speed up the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3344572/xiaomi-deepens-push-chips-and-ai-peers-race-humanoid-robotics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3344572/xiaomi-deepens-push-chips-and-ai-peers-race-humanoid-robotics?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2026 07:29:56 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang Last August, Beijing hosted the world’s first ever robotics competition, hailed as the Olympics for robotics, where human-shaped biped robots competed in sports events. Opening the grand show was a piano piece performed by a human pianist and a humanoid robot developed by Beijing-based start-up LinkerBot, which specialises in making dexterous hands for humanoids. The LinkerBot robot pianist was equipped with the company’s L6 mode of dexterous hands, designed for refined and delicate operations... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3344242/doraemon-dexterous-hands-chinas-linkerbot-equips-robots-human-skills?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3344242/doraemon-dexterous-hands-chinas-linkerbot-equips-robots-human-skills?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Feb 2026 04:00:11 +0000 Gerui Wang Gerui Wang The 2026 Spring Festival Gala, one of the world’s most-watched television events, featured a dazzling array of humanoid robots. They performed martial arts, executed intricate sword dances and even took part in a comedy skit alongside human celebrities. While parts of the world still view humanoid robots with a mixture of fear and suspicion, as potential job-stealers or sci-fi villains, China is increasingly embracing them as partners in work, entertainment and daily life. Amid the escalating... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3344083/humans-vs-robots-china-begs-disagree?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3344083/humans-vs-robots-china-begs-disagree?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Feb 2026 21:30:09 +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 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 Eunice Xu Eunice Xu Chinese robotics firms continue to secure fresh financing, including from state-backed funds, as investors shift focus from hardware to the “brains” of humanoids – the software and operating systems that underpin their intelligence. Alongside hardware-centric companies like Unitree Robotics, a new wave of firms is emerging with capital directed towards robotic software and operating systems. Shenzhen-based humanoid robot maker LimX Dynamics announced on Monday the completion of its US$200... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3342246/funding-surge-powers-chinese-robotics-firms-focus-shifts-humanoid-brains?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3342246/funding-surge-powers-chinese-robotics-firms-focus-shifts-humanoid-brains?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Feb 2026 12:00:38 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press As the new robot called Sprout walks around a Manhattan office, nodding its rectangular head, lifting its windscreen-wiper-like “eyebrows” and offering to shake your hand with its grippers, it looks nothing like the sleek and intimidating humanoids built by companies like Tesla. Sprout’s charm is the point. A five-year-old child could comfortably talk at eye level with this humanoid, which stands one metre (three feet) tall and wears a soft, padded exterior of sage-green foam. Forged by stealth... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/gadgets/article/3341774/forget-soulless-humanoid-robots-teslas-optimus-ones-more-wall-e?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/gadgets/article/3341774/forget-soulless-humanoid-robots-teslas-optimus-ones-more-wall-e?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jan 2026 11:15:08 +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 Iris Deng Iris Deng China’s Spring Festival has emerged as a high-stakes arena for artificial intelligence and robotics companies, with tech giants Tencent Holdings and Baidu committing a combined 1.5 billion yuan (US$215 million) to their digital red packet campaigns. Chinese social media and gaming giant Tencent announced on Sunday that its AI chatbot app Yuanbao would give away 1 billion yuan in hong bao – the traditional red envelopes containing cash gifts. Users could win up to 10,000 yuan through lucky draws... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3341262/chinese-tech-giants-tencent-and-baidu-join-fight-spring-festival-spotlight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3341262/chinese-tech-giants-tencent-and-baidu-join-fight-spring-festival-spotlight?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jan 2026 10:00:29 +0000 Eunice Xu Eunice Xu China’s Eyou Robot Technology has launched the world’s first automated production line for robot joints, positioning itself to capture growth ahead of a projected surge in humanoid robot shipments. The plant, based in Pudong, Shanghai, opened last Wednesday with an annual capacity of 100,000 units, with scope to triple output. Founded in 2018, Eyou supplies domestic humanoid robot makers, including industry leader AgiBot. The company achieved mass production of its products in 2023, with annual... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3341229/chinas-eyou-opens-worlds-first-automated-line-humanoid-robot-joints?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3341229/chinas-eyou-opens-worlds-first-automated-line-humanoid-robot-joints?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jan 2026 09:00:14 +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 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 Shenzhen is positioning itself for a bigger role in the global robotics arena after the city’s tech firms pledged to accelerate the roll-out of humanoid robots in line with Premier Li Qiang’s call to bolster industrial adoption of the technology. Li, during his trip to China’s southern tech hub, urged enterprises in emerging technologies – including robotics and drones – to speed up new iterations and upgrades so that more industries and households could benefit, according to Xinhua news... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3338938/shenzhen-poised-bigger-role-world-robotics-arena-firms-vow-boost-output?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3338938/shenzhen-poised-bigger-role-world-robotics-arena-firms-vow-boost-output?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Jan 2026 10:14:45 +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 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 Iris Deng Iris Deng AgiBot, one of the fastest-growing robotics start-ups in China, has set its sights on exceeding 1 billion yuan (US$142 million) in revenue for 2025, as the industry accelerates the commercialisation and large-scale deployment of humanoid robots. AgiBot was expected to ship a total of 5,000 humanoid robots in 2025, chairman and CEO Deng Taihua said in a company event on Monday. AgiBot’s output and sales targets, which the start-up confirmed on Tuesday, were expected to maintain “multi-fold”... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3337477/chinas-agibot-targets-us142-million-revenue-march-humanoid-robots-gathers-pace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3337477/chinas-agibot-targets-us142-million-revenue-march-humanoid-robots-gathers-pace?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Dec 2025 23:00:12 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov A Chinese combat robot tore through the competition at the Games of the Future Abu Dhabi 2025 on Sunday, sealing the Battle of the Robots title in a shower of sparks after slamming its rival into the glass wall of the arena. The robot, dubbed Deep-Sea Shark 3, was built by a China-based student team calling itself Fierce Roc, which was crowned champion, according to organisers. The contest was staged as part of a multi-sport festival of so-called “phygital” games – sport that blends real-world... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3337337/chinese-team-slams-rival-glass-wall-sparks-fly-robot-showdown-abu-dhabi?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3337337/chinese-team-slams-rival-glass-wall-sparks-fly-robot-showdown-abu-dhabi?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Dec 2025 23:00:10 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong The odds seemed impossible: a shoestring Chinese start-up founded in 2023 with just 1 million yuan (US$142,000) taking on Elon Musk – tech legend, disrupter in space and CEO of Tesla – who is valued at half a trillion dollars. But in less than two years, EngineAI Robotics, led by CEO Zhao Tongyang, created the T800 – a robot that delivers Bruce Lee-style roundhouse kicks with the force of a small car – and, under the instruction of smiling engineers and scientists, tried it first on the boss... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3336182/how-chinas-us150000-robotic-start-beat-tesla-boss-elon-musk-2-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3336182/how-chinas-us150000-robotic-start-beat-tesla-boss-elon-musk-2-years?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Dec 2025 14:00:09 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov Humanoid robot maker Unitree Robotics has teased what it calls the world’s first humanoid robot “app store”, a developer platform designed to bring embodied intelligence into everyday life by allowing users to access and control robots directly through their smartphones. The Hangzhou-based robotics unicorn unveiled a centralised programme, dubbed the Unitree Robotics Developer Platform, offering functions such as datasets and remote control programmes for humanoids. Unitree called it the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3336380/chinas-unitree-teases-platform-allowing-users-control-robots-through-smartphones?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3336380/chinas-unitree-teases-platform-allowing-users-control-robots-through-smartphones?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Dec 2025 08:49:43 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen A pale-grey, nearly one-metre-tall, four-legged robot drew crowds at Tokyo’s International Robot Exhibition, lowering itself down some steps before lifting its right foreleg as if to greet onlookers. It rolled around one of the exhibition halls on wheels, avoiding obstacles in its path. The quadruped, dubbed the D5, is the latest model unveiled on Wednesday by Chinese robot maker Pudu Robotics at IREX – a biennial industry showcase at Tokyo Big Sight from December 3 to 6. It is Pudu’s second... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3335381/chinas-pudu-robotics-rolls-out-overseas-charm-offensive-robot-dog?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3335381/chinas-pudu-robotics-rolls-out-overseas-charm-offensive-robot-dog?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Dec 2025 01:00:15 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov A Shenzhen-based humanoid robotics start-up, known for the dexterity of its robots, has received fresh funding from a fund under China Mobile, demonstrating how Chinese state and private sector money is pouring into robotics. Daimon Robotics Technology, co-founded by Wang Yu, dean of the robotics institute at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), and his student Duan Jianghua, said in a statement on Wednesday that Lianchang Fund, backed by China’s largest mobile operator,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3335084/shenzhen-robotics-start-daimon-secures-china-mobile-backing-ai-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3335084/shenzhen-robotics-start-daimon-secures-china-mobile-backing-ai-push?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Dec 2025 12:00:14 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao China’s Tsinghua University has set up a new cross-disciplinary institute to undertake robotics research, the latest sign of increased academic support from its top universities as the country doubles down on the embodied intelligence competition with the US. The Institute for Embodied Intelligence and Robotics will integrate resources from Tsinghua’s different schools, including automation, mechanical engineering, electronic engineering and computer science. Embodied intelligence is a field of... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3334952/chinas-tsinghua-university-sets-research-institute-latest-push-robotics-talent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3334952/chinas-tsinghua-university-sets-research-institute-latest-push-robotics-talent?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Dec 2025 00:00:25 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela China’s People’s Liberation Army has shown off a “Real Steel-style” military robot that mimicked a soldier’s combat moves in real time to defence representatives from 13 countries. Capturing every attack manoeuvre of a person wearing a lightweight motion-sensing device, the motion-controlled robot could precisely match moves with the help of artificial intelligence, according to a report in the official Science and Technology Daily on November 28. In the 2011 American movie Real Steel, a former... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3334906/real-steel-pla-unveils-motion-controlled-fight-robot-13-foreign-militaries?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3334906/real-steel-pla-unveils-motion-controlled-fight-robot-13-foreign-militaries?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Dec 2025 10:00:20 +0000