Chinese companies launch more humanoid robots as sector enters early mass production phase

Chinese companies have launched more humanoid robots, signaling the industry enters an early phase of mass production, an industry veteran said on Tuesday.

The remarks came as Guangdong-based robotics company Dobot announced on Tuesday its official launch of "the world's first full-size embodied intelligent humanoid robot," Dobot Atom, which features dexterous manipulation and straight-leg walking. The product's starting pre-sale price is 199,000 yuan ($27,512), which marks the arrival of the mass production era, according to media reports.

Dobot Atom is an industrial-grade operational humanoid robot, standing 1.53 meters tall and weighing 62 kilograms. It features a 1:1 biomimetic arm structure with 41 degrees of freedom across its body. "This robot can autonomously complete tasks such as preparing breakfast, pouring milk, arranging fruit plates, toasting bread and grilling bacon," a Dobot representative told news website 21jingji.com.

Dobot has initiated collaboration with domestic vehicle manufacturers, electronics factories, and coffee and tea shops, and trial production and mass production are expected to begin by mid-year, the employee said.

Also on the same day, China's home appliance conglomerate Midea Group's humanoid robot prototype was unveiled. This robot is capable of performing various actions such as shaking hands, handing over water, making a heart gesture, dancing, opening bottle caps and driving screws, Shanghai-based Yicai reported.

Midea Group Vice President Wei Chang told reporters that Midea has established a humanoid robot innovation center to strengthen its research and development efforts in this field.

There is no shortage of players in China's humanoid robot sector. Chinese automaker Changan said last November that it would invest more than 50 billion yuan in key areas such as humanoid robotics. The company plans to launch its first humanoid robot product before 2027, domestic news outlet ThePaper reported.

The global humanoid robot market is expected to show significant growth and reach $15 billion by 2030, according to GGII, a Chinese think tank on emerging industries.

Several Chinese manufacturers plan to achieve mass production of humanoid robots in the coming years, signaling the imminent arrival of the mass production era for humanoid robots, China National Radio reported on Tuesday.

"The launch of these humanoid robots signals that China's related products are rapidly entering an early stage of mass production," Ma Jihua, an industry veteran, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

In the coming years, humanoid robot prices are expected to gradually approach those of televisions, making their widespread adoption increasingly evident, Ma said. He noted that by leveraging strong production capabilities and well-established manufacturing lines, domestic industry giants are poised to accelerate the mass production of robots, driving greater adoption and cost reductions to make these cutting-edge products affordable for more users at home and abroad.

"China offers a vast market for robotic applications, with immense potential in areas such as eldercare, children's educational assistance and household chores," Ma said.