From soccer to sewing, humanoids blur the line between man and machine
An Agibot demonstrated bread baking in GDC 2025 in Shanghai.
Forget clunky metal shells. Humanoids, probably the next wave of robots, don't just look human, they're thinking, deciding and performing functions with a dexterity that's blurring the line between machine and man.
China is surging as a new force in an industry where science fiction meets reality, revolutionizing multiple sectors and reshaping global tech landscapes.
These advanced machines are demonstrating increasingly sophisticated capabilities, from playing soccer and performing kung fu to sewing, baking and even conducting interviews.
This surge in functionality, coupled with advancements in artificial intelligence, mass production and expanding applications, is driving the industry towards a "DeepSeek moment" in a rapidly emerging period of significant technological breakthroughs and widespread adoption.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, recognizing the transformative potential of humanoid robots, said they are expected to "reshape the global industrial landscape," following in the footsteps of computers, smartphones and new-energy vehicles.
This vision is supported by substantial market growth projections. In 2024, China's humanoid robot market reached 2.76 billion yuan (US$378 million), and it's projected to surge to 75 billion yuan by 2029, capturing a significant third of the global market.
A humanoid robot is "interviewing" in Shenzhen.
Showcasing humanoids
The 2025 Global Developer Conference in Shanghai showcased the rapid evolution of humanoid robots.
Companies like Agibot and Keeper have demonstrated human-sized machines capable of complex tasks. These robots exhibit advanced mobility, expressive gestures and even convey "feelings" through AI models and cloud-based controls.
Recent media reports further highlight these advancements.
EngineAI's humanoid robot performed a front flip stunt in Shenzhen, while Unitree's robots, renowned for their performance during the annual televised Spring Festival Gala, showcased kung fu skills, demonstrating precise dynamic balance and stability. Kuafu, another humanoid robot, conducted "interviews" at meetings in Shenzhen recently.
In Shanghai recently, Roborock unveiled cleaning robots with AI-powered folding arms that can detect, grasp and organize household items.
A humanoid, which can move heads based on eye-contacting with humans, is shown in GDC 2025 in Shanghai.
Technology on the march
The industry's rapid development is fueled by breakthroughs in AI, mass production, and supportive national policies.
The emergence of DeepSeek, with its cost-effective and high-performance AI models, is driving the integration of advanced intelligence into robotics. This integration aims to create smarter, safer and more human-like robots, potentially leading to a giant market similar to that of smartphones and computers.
Unitree and Roborock are ready to incorporate DeepSeek's AI models into their products, while Zhipu claims its AI models can reduce robot response times to within 0.2 of a second.
Nvidia Chief Executive Jensen Huang echoed this sentiment at the Consumer Technology Association's annual trade fair this year in Las Vegas, predicting a "ChatGPT moment" for general-purpose robotics.
DeepSeek's open-source approach is also fostering collaboration and accelerating development by enabling companies to share training data and software.
Companies like Agibot and Rohand have introduced virtual-reality and cloud-based tools for robot data collection and management, significantly improving training efficiency and reducing costs.
Agibot has also open-sourced 1 million humanoid data points and commenced mass production of general-purpose robots.
A critical technical milestone has been achieved as Chinese companies surpass the 1.2-meter height threshold, indicating advanced research and broader application potential. Agibot's A2 robot stands at 1.70 meters; Cyan's Orca 1 at 1.45 meters.
Shanghai and other regions in China have implemented policies to support humanoid robot development, including "incubation" sites for startups, funding, open-source data communities and specialized venues to accelerate training, development and commercialization.
STAR-listed Roborock's new cleaning robots with AI-powered folding arms, which can pick up household issues.
The global race
The burgeoning humanoid robotics sector has attracted major tech and automotive companies, including Alibaba, BYD and Huawei, who plan to expand their involvement in the sector this year.
According to Jiang Lei of the National and Local Co-Built Humanoid Robotics Innovation Center in Shanghai, 2025 will see more Chinese companies achieve annual sales exceeding 10,000 units, with 100,000 units marking a significant turning point. This trajectory aligns with Tesla's Optimus production plans.
UBTech, now listed in Hong Kong, has a production capacity of 10,000 units, with its Walker humanoid used in electric carmaker BYD's production lines. Unitree has commenced sales of its G1 robot on e-commerce platform JD at a starting price of 99,000 yuan – a quarter of the price of some overseas competitors.
TrendForce identifies China, the United States, Japan, South Korea and Germany as leaders in industrial robot installations. While in the latest humanoid wave, the US leads in AI ecosystems, China excels in supply chain capabilities.
Four companies, including one from China, lead in specific areas of technology in humanoid market.
In the global humanoid market, four companies led in specific areas of technology: China-based Unitree humanoids run fast and smoothly; Norway-based 1x EVE leads in precise "grasping" work; Tesla Optimus is well trained; and US-based Physical Intelligence has an advanced general-purpose development level.
The trend is towards general-purpose, highly customizable humanoids applicable across various industries, said Gu Ye, vice dean of the Shanghai Jiao Tong University's School of Mechanical Engineering.
China's advanced electric-vehicle industry and manufacturing ecosystem provide a strong foundation for mass production, with overlapping technologies between autonomous driving and humanoid robotics.
Meanwhile, humanoid robots have prime applications in industrial production, the service sector entertainment, sports and elderly care.
For example, Roborock, which is listed on Shanghai's STAR stock exchange, said its robotic products are now used by 17 million families across the world. A top official of the company calls its new AI-powered robotic arm in the household cleaning market "a new start" in family robots.
Goldman Sachs analyst Jacqueline Du, however, have more cautious attitude. He pointed that humanoid robot is "a long way to go on the job" after visiting Unitree this month. At least in the next two or three years, humanoid robots are difficult to achieve the same efficiency as human workers, he was quoted by media reports.
Morgan Stanley, another investment bank, also said the industry needs continuous improvement of algorithms and hardware, but it said that China's humanoid robot industry is showing accelerated development.
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