The 2025 World Robot Conference, held in Beijing’s Yizhuang district, has become a vibrant epicenter of technological innovation, drawing crowds eager to witness the latest advancements in robotics. As visitors streamed into the exhibition halls, they were greeted by a diverse array of robotic systems—some busily navigating between booths to demonstrate unique skills, while others stood poised in interactive zones, awaiting engagement. The air was thick with the promise of cutting-edge technology, each exhibit offering a glimpse into a future where machines and humans collaborate seamlessly. This dynamic scene underscores the rapid evolution of the robotics industry, where embodied intelligence is progressively erasing traditional sector boundaries and redefining human-machine interaction paradigms.
The conference featured three main exhibition halls—Innovation Hall, Application Hall, and Technology Hall—showcasing over 1,500 exhibits from more than 200 domestic and international robotics companies, including industry leaders such as ABB, KUKA, Festo, Estun, Unitree Robotics, Galaxy General, and CITIC Heavy Industries. Notably, the event debuted over 100 new products, with 50 humanoid robot manufacturers presenting their latest innovations and solutions, marking the highest participation of humanoid robot companies in any similar event to date.
Walking through the main aisles, attendees could not help but pause at various captivating demonstrations. In the “Robot Market” area, the Moz1 humanoid robot from Qianxun Intelligent meticulously recreated the art of making candied hawthorns. With precise movements, it skewered red hawthorn berries steadily, drawing long queues of spectators eager to taste the results. The same Moz1 unit also showcased its garment-folding skills at JD.com’s booth, where it adeptly identified collars, smoothed out wrinkles, and neatly folded T-shirts into compact blocks, all while handling clothes fresh from the washer.
At the Cross-dimensional Intelligence exhibit, the second-generation humanoid robot DexForce W1 Pro demonstrated high-precision, long-task operational capabilities. Responding to voice commands, the W1 Pro accurately identified and retrieved specific capsules from a cluttered group, executed a graceful mid-air hand switch, and steadily placed the capsule into a coffee machine. After the brewing cycle, it seamlessly served the coffee to attendees, highlighting its potential in service-oriented applications.
In scenarios simulating front-desk接待, the full-size humanoid robot “Kuafu” from Leju proactively identified visitors, approached them with greetings, and engaged in natural language conversations to address inquiries and guide registrations. Its human-like gestures significantly enhanced the warmth and approachability of mechanical services, making interactions feel more personal and engaging.
Meanwhile, at the Xinghai Tu booth, the R1 Lite robot tackled real-world chores with ease. Upon receiving a simple natural language instruction—”Please tidy up the bed”—it immediately assessed the disheveled bedding, planned its actions, and moved steadily from the head to the foot of the bed, methodically straightening the sheets and blankets. This performance underscored the growing capability of embodied robots to handle practical, everyday tasks in unstructured environments.
Observers expressed a mix of awe and practical critique. Near the garment-folding demonstration, one attendee remarked that while current robotic technology has advanced significantly—executing folds with precision comparable to humans—the speed of operation still lags, indicating areas for future improvement. The event also attracted numerous students, who clustered around exhibits, eagerly interacting with the robots and testing various functions. Their excitement and curiosity reflected a broader fascination with how these technologies could shape daily life and learning experiences.
Despite humanoid robots remaining in the early stages of widespread adoption, consumer interest was palpable. Many exhibitors reported frequent inquiries and expressions of purchase intent, even for higher-priced models. The enthusiasm stems from a growing desire for highly intelligent, autonomous companions that could assist with household chores, educational activities, and entertainment, potentially integrating into family life as supportive members.
Throughout the venue, the buzz of conversations highlighted a collective sense of anticipation and wonder. Each robot seemed to embody a small marvel, offering visions of a future filled with limitless possibilities. The exhibition halls were packed, with some leading companies’ booths becoming so crowded that movement was challenging. Attendees lined the pathways, capturing photos, studying promotional materials, and engaging in deep discussions with company representatives, all against a backdrop of relentless innovation.
The development of intelligent robots represents a critical frontier in global technology and industry. Currently, China’s robotics sector is experiencing unprecedented growth. Data indicates that in the first half of the year, the industry’s revenue increased by 27.8 percent year-on-year, with industrial robot and service robot production rising by 35.6 percent and 25.5 percent, respectively. For twelve consecutive years, China has maintained its position as the world’s largest application market for industrial robots, underscoring the sector’s robust expansion.
However, the path to large-scale adoption is fraught with challenges. Wang Xingxing, founder and CEO of Unitree Robotics, emphasized that the primary obstacle for robots, especially humanoid models, is the insufficiency of embodied intelligence. This limitation hinders widespread application and remains a universal难题 faced by the global industry. He expressed optimism, noting that as AI technology continues to advance, the robotics field will inevitably progress. “The current surge in humanoid robotics might, in the long term, be just a small spark—similar to the early days of the internet,” Wang remarked, suggesting that today’s excitement could precede a much larger transformation.
Wang Tianmiao, dean of the Zhongguancun Zhiyou Research Institute, outlined two potential pathways for the application of embodied intelligence. The first, favored by idealists, involves constructing a world model that, combined with rich data, can generalize across numerous scenarios—a vision many hope to realize. The second approach deconstructs these world models to fit specific, real-world physical contexts, resulting in what he termed “intelligent hardware.” This method confines intelligence within defined parameters rather than seeking broad generalization, enabling solutions tailored to stable and reliable performance in particular settings, such as coffee-making, floor cleaning, or surgical procedures.
Yao Maoqing, partner and head of the embodied business department at Zhiyuan Robotics, stressed that embodied intelligence should prioritize “robot + AI” over “AI + robot.” He argued against designing products based solely on abstract models conceived without practical consideration. Instead, effective development must integrate hardware and physical form from the outset, as high-degree-of-freedom本体构型 are difficult to replicate through models alone. Moreover, models must evolve around the本体设计 to facilitate iteration. “In design and manufacturing, all errors across the software, data, and model processing chain ultimately become significant constraints, amplified at each stage,” Yao explained. “This is why we pursue mass production and consistency—to minimize errors in every aspect of intelligent robot design, execution, and production, establishing a foundation for data sharing and reliability.”
Liu Cong, vice president of iFlytek and dean of its research institute, delineated three essential AI capabilities for the era of embodied intelligence. First, robots must achieve greater autonomy in execution and mobility. Second, they need enhanced human-machine interaction, particularly in complex scenarios. Third, comprehensive, multi-language capabilities are crucial to support global expansion and market diversification.
The explosive growth of embodied intelligence is fundamentally altering the automotive supply chain’s underlying logic, creating cross-dimensional opportunities for vehicle manufacturers and component suppliers. This transformation extends beyond technological crossover to include role evolution, business model innovation, and industrial ecosystem restructuring, opening new avenues for market participants.
During this pivotal period of industrial智能化转型, humanoid robots are emerging as novel productivity tools for factory efficiency and cost reduction. For instance, Leju’s “Kuafu” humanoid robot has successfully transitioned from laboratory settings to practical industrial applications. In material handling scenarios, “Kuafu” autonomously plans paths, precisely locates containers, and performs grasping and transportation tasks. Previously, it conducted extended, high-intensity cyclic operations at FAW’s Hongqi factory, addressing core industrial challenges such as walking stability and operational efficiency under heavy loads. This demonstrates a viable path for humanoid robots in upgrading sectors like automotive manufacturing.
In material sorting, “Kuafu” employs high-precision vision modules to analyze material characteristics in real-time, using AI algorithms to control mechanical arms and dexterous hands for accurate grasping. This system can coordinate multiple robot types for collaborative tasks. In a newly demonstrated SMT tray retrieval scenario, “Kuafu” exhibited full autonomy—from identifying shelves in complex environments to precisely grasping and stably transporting trays—offering a fresh automation option for intelligent warehousing and logistics.
As highly integrated intelligent devices, humanoid robots rely on core components spanning transmission, perception, and control systems. Automotive parts suppliers, leveraging expertise in precision manufacturing, materials science, and electronic control, are actively engaging in the研发与生产 of humanoid robots, seeking new growth pillars for their businesses.
Lidar, as an optimal sensor for robotic mobility, empowers robots with three-dimensional spatial understanding, enabling precise positioning, stable navigation, and agile obstacle avoidance. This significantly enhances interaction efficiency with the physical world. Moreover, lidar plays a key role in the “perception-decision-execution” loop of robotic systems. The high-quality environmental data it collects drives iterative improvements in algorithm models, accelerating the智能化进程 of robotics. Lidar’s规模化应用 in the automotive market has cultivated three core competencies: a vehicle-grade reliability testing体系 that ensures robotic stability in harsh conditions, mass-production experience that reduces marginal costs for robotic products, and technological insights from autonomous driving that can be directly transferred to robotic scenarios.
At the conference, Hesai Technology showcased two core product solutions for robotics: the miniaturized super-hemispherical 3D lidar JT series and the new-generation vehicle-grade pure solid-state lidar FTX. Both products adhere to Hesai’s vehicle-grade reliability standards and proprietary fourth-generation chip architecture, providing a hardware foundation for enhanced robotic perception and supporting the industry’s march toward higher levels of autonomy.
This year, RoboSense introduced the Active Camera, a new category in robotic vision aimed at delivering next-generation perception solutions and developer ecosystem services. This product series features an innovative multi-sensor integrated design, enabling a single hardware unit to provide color information, depth data, and motion status—all temporally and spatially fused. It overcomes traditional 3D vision limitations such as poor clarity, inaccuracy, and slow response, granting robust perception capabilities for high-precision, active environmental exploration and understanding. In industrial, commercial, and consumer contexts, it supports tasks like digital twin creation and various data mapping and collection activities.
Welling’s heavy-duty robot-specific servo motors also attracted considerable attention. These motors influence critical aspects of robotic arm control, including position, angle, and linear motion, with performance variations directly impacting overall robotic capabilities.
The humanoid robot market is expanding rapidly. Industry forecasts suggest it could grow to 150 billion yuan by 2029, with China’s share potentially rising from the current 20 percent to over 50 percent, positioning the country as a core growth engine for the global industry.
At the conference, GAC Group stood out as the sole automotive manufacturer exhibitor. Unlike peers who engage through investments, partnerships, or supply collaborations, GAC has chosen to develop its own solutions. The company unveiled its third-generation embodied intelligent humanoid robot, GoMate, which features a variable wheel-legged structure capable of switching between two-wheel and four-wheel modes for all-terrain mobility. Another product, an intelligent electric wheelchair, can carry individuals up and down stairs with a maximum load capacity of 90 kilograms.
Humanoid robots and the automotive industry share common ground in high-end precision manufacturing, with overlaps in materials, processes, transmission systems, and precision machining. Vehicle and component firms, with their extensive experience in high-precision manufacturing, mass production, cost control, and mature supply chains, are well-positioned to contribute. The rise of autonomous driving technologies has further transformed cars into embodied intelligent terminals, fostering synergistic effects across industries.
In recent years, numerous upstream and downstream automotive supply chain companies have actively entered the embodied intelligence arena. However, amid capital enthusiasm and industrial expansion, the sector has witnessed structural irregularities that demand rational scrutiny and systematic correction. Concept炒作 poses a primary risk, as some enterprises exploit information asymmetries in capital markets to rebrand marginal technologies as robotic innovations, using polished narratives to inflate valuations.
The proliferation of pseudo-demand and technological “bubbles” has intensified the industry’s “virtual heat.” Many products marketed as intelligent robots are essentially traditional electromechanical devices with superficial smart features, failing to address genuine pain points or deliver efficiency breakthroughs.
This capital-driven model conflicts with the inherent development规律 of the robotics industry. As a典型的技术密集型产业, intelligent robotics requires long-term investment in core component R&D, algorithm iteration, and scenario implementation, with technology maturity curves often spanning decades. When profit-seeking motives override industrial development principles, ecosystem imbalances inevitably occur. Industry experts advise that governments, enterprises, and investors collaborate to strengthen oversight, guide capital flows rationally, avoid speculative bandwagons, and ensure funding targets truly innovative and promising robotic projects.
Historical precedents show that any emerging industry undergoes a泡沫化 phase during its explosive growth, with market mechanisms eventually serving a “purification” role. Participants reliant on gimmicks and capital games will be淘汰 by technological evolution and demand upgrades. To achieve healthy development in the intelligent robotics sector, stakeholders must rebuild an industry ecology centered on value creation, with technological breakthroughs as the fundamental prerequisite. Companies should focus on “bottleneck” areas, establishing independent technology systems through sustained R&D investment. Whether entrepreneurs or investors, all must adhere to industrial初衷, reject “quick-profit” mentalities, and participate in industry building from a long-term perspective.
The 2025 World Robot Conference has vividly illustrated how embodied intelligence and embodied robots are not merely technological novelties but transformative forces reshaping global industries. From household assistants to industrial workhorses, these systems are bridging the gap between human intention and machine execution. As development continues, the integration of embodied intelligence into various sectors promises to unlock new levels of efficiency, creativity, and collaboration, ultimately redefining what is possible in the age of intelligent automation.