China robot makers show off humanoids at World – Business News
Chinese robot makers confirmed off humanoids sorting parcels, packing cellphones and serving to with family chores at a Beijing convention on Wednesday, searching for to show a shift from crowd-pleasing shows to broader business use.
More than 300 largely home firms are attending the World Robot Conference, which runs by way of Sunday, displaying over 2,000 displays and launching more than 150 merchandise, in keeping with organizers.
The occasion comes amid a surge of investor curiosity in humanoids, a potential new source of industrial growth for China and an area of technological competitors with the United States.
Humanoid robots produced by UB Tech kind small parcels at during the 2026 World Robot Conference in Beijing on Wednesday. AFP by way of Getty Images
Shares in Unitree, China’s best-known humanoid robot maker, soared almost sixfold of their Shanghai trading debut on Wednesday, after Unitree’s initial public offering was more than 8,000 occasions oversubscribed by retail traders.
Following Unitree’s IPO, startup Lumos Robotics and the robotics division of China’s largest auto exporter Chery Automobile advised Reuters they have been additionally contemplating stock market listings.
Nvidia govt visits
Madison Huang, a senior Nvidia govt and daughter of the US chipmaker’s CEO Jensen Huang, made an unannounced go to to the occasion, watching robots carry out flying kicks and dance routines earlier than stopping at a companion-robot sales space to ask about its sensors.
Huang, who drew onlookers a lot as her father has on previous visits to Beijing, oversees advertising for Nvidia’s Omniverse and robotics platforms, software program used to simulate and check bodily AI — systems that may understand and act in the actual world.
Despite geopolitical tensions and US restrictions on exports of Nvidia’s most superior AI chips to China, her go to highlighted overseas suppliers’ position in China’s push to develop clever and autonomous robots for its factories, warehouses and houses.
Madison Huang, a senior Nvidia govt and daughter of CEO Jensen Huang, made an unannounced go to to the occasion. REUTERS
RealSense, a US-based maker of imaginative and prescient systems for robots and one of the few overseas exhibitors at the convention, stated it was increasing manufacturing capability and building gross sales partnerships in China because the sector develops.
“We see China as a very strategic market for us,” stated Mike Nielsen, the company’s chief advertising officer.
“It is becoming the center of humanoid technology.”
A workers member dressed up in a costume poses with VBot robots on a canine leash. REUTERS
Robotics an ‘important force’
At the opening ceremony, Xin Guobin, vice minister of industry and data technology, pledged assist, saying robotics had change into “an important force” in China’s financial and social development, state-backed financial outlet Cailianshe reported.
Robots are more and more being examined in logistics, manufacturing and repair settings, although many deployments stay at the pilot or early business stage.
“Our most common application scenarios are in logistics,” stated Zhang Dapeng, assistant vice president at industrial humanoid robot firm Leju, as his company confirmed robots transferring and sorting crates and small objects.
Exhibitors watch a robot play desk tennis at a sales space of Unitree. Shares soared in Unitree’s trading debut. AP Photo/Andy Wong
A robot demonstrates leaping capacity. ZUMAPRESS.com
Zhang stated European factories and Chinese auto plants have been utilizing Leju robots to maneuver bins and cargo parts.
At Robotera’s sales space, a humanoid torso on a wheeled tripod base sorted parcels. A company official stated the robot had been deployed at China Post logistics websites since final 12 months utilizing Robotera’s AI software program.
A gross sales consultant stated Robotera had more than 100 parcel-sorting robots in 15 warehouses nationwide.
From demonstrations to deployment
Nearby, DexForce demonstrated humanoid robots packing cellphones into bins on an meeting line.
The robots have been deployed since early this 12 months at a Lens Technology manufacturing unit, a Chinese provider of touchscreens and different parts to Apple and Huawei, stated DexForce official Nicole Yang.
Yang stated the machines had millimeter-level working accuracy and will detect and proper errors, comparable to a telephone being positioned at an angle.
A robot demonstrates its capacity to do chores. Xinhua/Shutterstock
People take footage of Casbot humanoid robots enjoying the guitar. AFP by way of Getty Images
“In theory, human beings are the most dexterous,” Yang stated. “But many workers in factories are unwilling to do this kind of boring work.”
Lumos Robotics is already utilizing robots to automate the meeting of key modules at its manufacturing unit and plans to introduce them into closing meeting, founder and Chief Executive Yu Chao stated.
“This year, everyone is more focused on how robots can work in real-world scenarios,” he stated.
China is beomcing the “center of humanoid technology,” stated one attendee. ZUMAPRESS.com
X Square Robot, recognized for its concentrate on family chores, is trying to transfer past short home-service trials.
Its longest deployment has lasted one month, and it’s testing robots in tons of of properties this 12 months earlier than gradual commercialisation subsequent 12 months, stated co-founder and Chief Executive Yang Qian.
Commercial check
Global humanoid shipments rose 272% within the first half of 2026 to about 19,000 items, with Chinese firms accounting for 97% of the whole, in keeping with Morgan Stanley, citing Smart Analytics Global information.
But about 65% of shipments nonetheless went to leisure, schooling, analysis and information assortment somewhat than productive business work, Morgan Stanley stated.
A hyper-realistic silicon face for robots is displayed at the Magic Cube Robot sales space. REUTERS
Humanoid robots from Unitree struggle one another as they carry out kickboxing. Getty Images
RealSense’s Nielsen stated the businesses most certainly to succeed can be these in a position to put robots into energetic manufacturing environments, including that China’s speedy development cycle was pushing suppliers to maneuver more shortly.
“The product cycles for robots are more like six to eight months, not three to four years,” he stated.
