China's humanoid robots advance automation

Chinese firms exploit 'right timing, right place and right people' for global edge

In Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province, Chinese new energy vehicle manufacturer Zeekr, which is part of Geely Holding Group, a prominent automaker, welcomed its first humanoid robot "intern" to its factory recently.

With a height of 170 centimeters and clad in sleek silver, the robot extended its lightweight arm, picked up and carried a crate of automotive parts weighing 15 kilograms, and navigated through narrow aisles and around obstacles with the grace of a seasoned worker.

As it moved through the factory, Walker S, the humanoid robot developed by Chinese artificial intelligence and humanoid robotics company UBTech Robotics, notched up a first: it became the first of its kind in China to carry out full-process handling tasks at an automotive factory.