Humanoid robots take center stage at 2026 Spring Festival Gala · TechNode

MagicBot Gen1 performed basic interactive gestures such as waving, while MagicBot Z1 demonstrated a 360-degree rotational move known as the Thomas 360. The company said this marked the first time a humanoid robot of similar size had completed... Every Wednesday and Friday, TechNode’s Briefing newsletter delivers a roundup of the most important news in China tech, straight to your inbox. At China’s 2026 CCTV Spring Festival Gala, several robotics companies showcased their latest research and development progress. Humanoid robots participated in multiple performances and interactive segments, emerging as one of the key technological highlights of this year’s show. With a small team, TechNode provides timely news and thoughtfully researched articles for worldwide readers interested in learning more about the Chinese tech industry. Jessie Wu is a tech reporter based in Shanghai. She covers consumer electronics, semiconductor, and the gaming industry for TechNode. Connect with her via e-mail: jessie.wu@technode.com. More by Jessie Wu · Moore Threads completes full adaptation of Qwen3.5 model Feb 19, 2026 · Humanoid robots take center stage at 2026 Spring Festival Gala, revealing China’s latest robotics advances Feb 17, 2026 ByteDance Releases Doubao-Seed-2.0, Positions Pro Model Against GPT 5.2 and Gemini 3 Pro Feb 14, 2026 · Humanoid robots take center stage at 2026 Spring Festival Gala, revealing China’s latest robotics advances MagicLab was the first robotics company to appear on stage, presenting two humanoid robots during the program. MagicBot Gen1 performed basic interactive gestures such as waving, while MagicBot Z1 demonstrated a 360-degree rotational move known as the Thomas 360. The company said this marked the first time a humanoid robot of similar size had completed such a high-difficulty continuous rotation.