European chipmaker STMicroelectronics deploys humanoid robots in semiconductor production for first time - VnExpress International
CATL, the world’s largest electric vehicle battery manufacturer, announced last week that it has begun deploying humanoid robots at scale at its Zhongzhou facility in central China.
Key takeaways
The most recent developments show humanoid robots moving from prototypes to large‑scale industrial use and public demonstrations. In December 2025 European chipmaker STMicroelectronics announced a partnership with Italy’s Oversonic Robotics to roll out its cognitive humanoid, RoBee, across its global semiconductor plants, marking what is believed to be the first integration of humanoid robots directly into semiconductor manufacturing. At the same time, Chinese battery giant CATL has become the world’s first battery producer to deploy humanoid robots at scale in its Luoyang factory, where the “Xiaomo” units now handle complex tasks such as battery connector insertion and adaptive force control, reportedly delivering three times the workload of a human worker. Chinese companies are also scaling production: UBTech plans to ship 500 industrial robots this year and increase its humanoid output to 5,000 units in 2026, while AgiBot celebrated the rollout of its 5,000th humanoid robot from its Shanghai line. Xpeng unveiled a second‑generation humanoid called “Iron” at the IAA auto show in Munich and said mass production will start next year. In the broader market, Elon Musk’s Optimus robot remains a focal point, with Musk forecasting “insatiable” demand and Tesla targeting one million units per year by 2030, a goal echoed by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang who predicts the technology is on the cusp of breakthrough. However, industry observers caution that the hype may outpace reality; the Wall Street Journal notes that despite $5 billion of investment this year, many startups still lack the manipulation, safety and autonomy needed for reliable commercial deployment, and IEEE Spectrum’s 2025 review warns that significant technical hurdles remain. Security concerns have also surfaced: researchers from the Chinese Darknavy group demonstrated that a commercial Unitree humanoid can be compromised through voice commands and used to infect nearby units, highlighting the need for robust safeguards as these machines become more common.
CATL, the world’s largest electric vehicle battery manufacturer, announced last week that it has begun deploying humanoid robots at scale at its Zhongzhou facility in central China. The company said it is the first in the world to use humanoid machines extensively for industrial automation, according to South China Morning Post.
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View more The European chipmaker has announced a partnership with Italian firm Oversonic Robotics to deploy its cognitive humanoid robot, RoBee, across ST’s global production sites. The move marks what is believed to be the semiconductor industry’s first integration of humanoid robots directly into manufacturing systems, according to Interesting Engineering. RoBee is the only humanoid robot certified for both industrial and healthcare applications, according to Interesting Engineering. Designed to operate autonomously in complex industrial settings, it uses AI-based perception, real-time decision-making, and multimodal interaction through its cognitive platform.
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