Humanoid robots are robotic systems designed with a human-like form factor, enabling them to move, manipulate objects, and operate in environments built for people. Unlike traditional industrial machines, humanoids aim to combine mobility, dexterity, and embodied intelligence to perform a wide range of physical tasks. This topic covers advances in locomotion, balance, manipulation, perception, and AI-driven control systems, as well as real-world deployment in manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, and service roles. It also examines the technical, economic, and safety challenges of scaling humanoid platforms beyond research and pilot programs. As hardware matures and AI models improve, humanoid robots are increasingly positioned as general-purpose systems for complex, unstructured environments.
A video of a Unitree humanoid and an EngineAI robot trading punches and kicks in a San Francisco Bay Area storefront has gone viral, billed by organizers as the first public fight between robots from two different manufacturers.
Unitree Robotics has unveiled the GD01, a manned mecha the company describes as the world’s first production-ready civilian mecha vehicle, weighing approximately 500 kilograms including the driver and starting at 3.9 million yuan ($650,000).
UBTECH Robotics and Hitachi China have signed a strategic cooperation agreement to deploy Walker S2 humanoid robots across Hitachi’s manufacturing operations, with elevator production already in active testing at Hitachi Elevator’s facility.
Unitree Robotics has launched UniStore, described as the world’s first humanoid robot application store, allowing users to browse, download, and install motion and task packages onto Unitree robots with a single tap from a smartphone app.
Tesla built its last Model S and Model X at Fremont on May 9, ending a combined 14-year production run as the company converts the assembly space to manufacture Optimus humanoid robots, targeting one million units per year.
A Unitree G1 humanoid robot named Gabi was ordained as a Buddhist monk at Seoul’s Jogyesa Temple in a ceremony hosted by the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, pledging devotion to the Buddha and committing to a set of vows adapted for an AI system.
Despite record investment, viral demonstrations, and bold commercial timelines, the gap between what humanoid robots can do on camera and what they can reliably deliver in real industrial environments remains significant – and is being increasingly acknowledged by the people building them.
Genesis AI has unveiled GENE-26.5, a robotics foundation model paired with a human-scale robotic hand and a data-collection glove that enables 1:1 skill transfer from humans to robots, targeting complex long-horizon manipulation tasks at commercial scale.
1X Technologies has launched full-scale production of its NEO humanoid robot at a 58,000-square-foot facility in Hayward, California, with consumer shipments scheduled for 2026 and early units already operating on the factory floor to generate training data.
A Morgan Stanley report argues that China’s early investment in humanoid robotics mirrors its EV strategy a decade ago, and projects the country’s share of global manufacturing will rise from 15% to 16.5% by 2030 as robotics deployment and supply chain dominance accelerate.