IN PHOTOS | Humanoid robots demonstrate their capabilities
A hyperrealistic silicon face for robots is displayed at the Magic Cube Robot booth during the World Robot Conference, which runs until Sunday in Beijing.
Key takeaways
- Unitree Robotics continues to dominate headlines with its latest “Superman” humanoid, which can leap 2 metres vertically and run at 12.66 m/s—surpassing both the standing‑high‑jump and sprint records of human athletes despite having legs only 0.85 m long.
- The robot, developed in just over three months, is the company’s third major performance breakthrough this year, following the H1 model that previously hit a 10 m/s running speed.
- On the same week that the robot was unveiled, Unitree’s Shanghai IPO surged more than 460 % above the offering price, propelling the firm into a landmark market debut and underscoring investor enthusiasm for China’s burgeoning humanoid sector, which analysts expect to ship 50,000 units in 2026, up from 12,000 in 2025.
- Despite the rapid hardware advances, founder Wang Xingxing cautioned that a “ChatGPT moment” for humanoid robots—where they can generalise across tasks and execute precise movements—may still be a decade away.
- In parallel, U.S. startup Foundation is promoting its Phantom humanoid for border‑security patrols, claiming the robot can navigate rugged terrain and flag potential crossings, although the Department of Homeland Security says no formal contracts are in place.
Buyer next steps
Compare source-backed options on HumanoidHub
Use HumanoidHub catalog records and buyer guides to verify robot availability, source links, and shortlist fit before contacting manufacturers.
A hyperrealistic silicon face for robots is displayed at the Magic Cube Robot booth during the World Robot Conference, which runs until Sunday in Beijing. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters)
Social Sharing
The public got to see the latest machines from China's robot makers on Wednesday. More than 300 companies have gathered at the World Robot Conference in Beijing — one of the major robotics trade shows.
While robots in China are increasingly being deployed for such tasks as hotel food deliveries and on some assembly lines, large-scale adoption beyond pilot projects remains limited. Here's a look at the industry's latest technologies and capabilities.
Humanoid robots by Unitree Robotics demonstrate kickboxing.
(Tingshu Wang/Reuters)
Unitree humanoid robots demonstrate a group dance. Unitree humanoid robots demonstrate a group dance.
(Tingshu Wang/Reuters)
A robot plays table tennis at a booth of Unitree, one of China's largest humanoid robot makers.
(Andy Wong/The Associated Press)
A woman and child watch robotic hands threading a needle.
(Andy Wong/The Associated Press)
Visitors watch a robot serving noodles at a booth.
(Andy Wong/The Associated Press)
A Kepler Robotics humanoid robot demonstrates its work capabilities at a booth.
(Maxim Shemetov/Reuters)
CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices·About CBC News
Corrections and clarifications·Submit a news tip·
New robots, funding, and signals. Every Thursday.
Unsubscribe anytime.
Mentioned in this article