What happens when a Chinese humanoid robot visits your house - NBC News
By Joanna Stern Over the past few weeks, I’ve been spending time with a Unitree G1 humanoid — both in my house and in the warehouse where these robots are being imported from China by the thousands.
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Key takeaways
- The most recent developments in humanoid robotics show a surge of production‑scale efforts, new biomimetic designs, and breakthroughs in AI‑driven manipulation.
- 1X Technologies has opened a fully integrated factory in Hayward, California, and begun full‑scale production of its NEO humanoid, which uses NVIDIA’s Jetson Thor processor and the Isaac robotics platform.
- After a sold‑out launch in October, the company says domestic shipments to consumers are slated to start in 2026.
- In Shanghai, DroidUp unveiled Moya, a 1.65‑metre, 32‑kilogram robot that mimics human tissue movement with pneumatic muscles, holds eye contact, and reproduces micro‑expressions; the firm targets a commercial release for late 2026 at a price of about 1.2 million yuan, aiming at healthcare and education institutions.
- Hyundai’s robotics plans remain constrained by the limited output of Boston Dynamics’s Atlas units—about four per month—but a new Boston Dynamics manufacturing facility is expected to enable mass production of Atlas as it transitions from prototype to production.
By Joanna Stern
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been spending time with a Unitree G1 humanoid — both in my house and in the warehouse where these robots are being imported from China by the thousands.
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Whatever you do, don't let it anywhere near your toes.
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A Hangzhou Unitree Technology Co. robot at the company's store on Feb. 24 in Beijing.
By Joanna Stern
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