In the spotlight of the Snake Year Spring Festival Gala, a troupe of humanoid robots danced with remarkable agility, clad in floral cotton-padded jackets and wielding red handkerchiefs. Their performance not only stunned audiences with their lifelike movements but also ignited widespread curiosity about the future applications of these mechanical marvels. As “intelligent robots” were included in the Government Work Report for the first time this year, a combination of policy support and technological advancements is accelerating the commercialization of humanoid robots. However, despite the rapid progress, their integration into daily household life remains a challenge fraught with technical, economic, and societal hurdles. This article delves into the current landscape of the humanoid robotics industry, explores its commercialization milestones, and examines the key obstacles hindering its adoption in domestic settings.
The Rising Tide of Humanoid Robotics: Core Technologies and Diverse Applications
Humanoid robots, characterized by their human-like appearance and ability to mimic human movements, rely on three core technological pillars: environmental perception, motion control, and human-computer interaction. These capabilities enable them to adapt to a wide range of scenarios, from industrial manufacturing to commercial services and household care .
In industrial settings, humanoid robots have demonstrated prowess in tasks such as material handling, sorting, assembly, and quality inspection. Their adaptability to structured environments makes them ideal for replacing humans in repetitive or physically demanding jobs, as well as complementing existing industrial robots in precision-based tasks . In commercial and service sectors, they can serve as receptionists, tour guides, and consultants, leveraging their anthropomorphic design to enhance user interaction. Perhaps most intriguingly, in household environments, their human-like form offers unique emotional value, particularly in elderly care, where they can provide companionship and health monitoring . They also hold promise in specialized fields, such as disaster relief and hazardous material handling, where human intervention is too risky.
The market potential of humanoid robots is staggering. According to the Humanoid Robot Industry Development Research Report released at the first China Humanoid Robot Industry Conference in 2024, China’s humanoid robot market is projected to reach approximately 5.3 billion yuan ($730 million) by 2025 and surge to 75 billion yuan ($10.3 billion) by 2029 . Xiang Zhong, Deputy Dean of the School of Mechanical Engineering at Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, highlights humanoid robots as a symbol of new-quality productivity, integrating cutting-edge technologies from mechanical engineering, materials science, intelligent sensing, and artificial intelligence. Their large-scale adoption, he argues, will inject significant momentum into economic and social development .
Policy Tailwinds and Industrial Momentum
The growth of the humanoid robotics industry has been significantly bolstered by policy support. In November 2023, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) issued the Guidelines for the Innovative Development of Humanoid Robots, outlining clear objectives and directions for the sector. The plan aims to establish a preliminary innovation system for humanoid robots by early 2025 and enhance technological capabilities by 2027, with the goal of building a secure and reliable industrial chain and supply chain while achieving international competitiveness .
Regional governments have also stepped up, with cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Zhejiang, and Shenzhen introducing policies to foster technological research and cultivate a supportive ecosystem for artificial intelligence and robotics . This combined policy push has created a dynamic landscape where leading enterprises, emerging players, and niche companies are all vying for a share of the market.
Industry leaders are making rapid advancements. In March 2025, Zhiyuan Robotics unveiled the Zhiyuan Qiyuan general embodied foundation model, a breakthrough in intelligent interaction. Meanwhile, Xingdong Jiyuan partnered with home appliance manufacturers to develop service robots for smart home scenarios, while UBTECH conducted the world’s first multi-robot, multi-scenario, multi-task collaborative training . Niche players like Qinglang Intelligent have also entered the fray, launching the XMAN-R1, a wheeled humanoid service robot designed to handle the full dining process from order-taking to meal delivery .
Li Tong, Founder of Qinglang Intelligent, notes that humanoid robots are well-suited to human environments, as tools and infrastructure are inherently designed for human use. This compatibility, coupled with the trend toward embodied intelligence, makes humanoid robots a strategic frontier for companies with experience in service robotics .
Commercialization Takes Root: Industrial Scenarios Lead the Way
Among various applications, industrial manufacturing is widely regarded as the first frontier for commercialization. Structured factory environments, with their predictable workflows and high precision requirements, provide an ideal testing ground for humanoid robots . Xiang Zhong explains that these robots excel in repetitive, labor-intensive tasks and can complement traditional industrial robots in tasks requiring flexibility, such as assembly and inspection .
UBTECH has already deployed dozens of Walker S1 industrial humanoid robots at Geely’s 5G smart factory for collaborative training, marking a shift from single-robot autonomy to swarm intelligence . 谭旻 (Tan Min), Chief Brand Officer of UBTECH, compares the pre-launch training of humanoid robots to vehicle testing, emphasizing the need for real-world validation in tasks like intelligent handling, sorting, quality inspection, and fine manipulation. Unlike rigid mechanical arms, humanoid robots offer greater flexibility, making them indispensable in highly automated factories .
Zhiyuan Robotics is also advancing rapidly in industrial applications, conducting early-stage validation projects in factories and planning to deploy robots in 3C electronics and automotive manufacturing by late 2025. With backing from industrial investors, the company has access to hundreds of factory scenarios, allowing it to prioritize high-potential use cases for large-scale application .
A critical advantage of industrial settings is their high level of digitalization and connectivity, particularly in 5G-enabled smart factories and “lighthouse factories.” These environments provide vast amounts of real-time data, essential for training humanoid robots to adapt and improve. As Tan Min notes, such ecosystems allow robots to integrate seamlessly and accelerate their learning through data-driven optimization .
The Road to Households: Challenges and Hurdles
While the industrial sector is poised for early adoption, the journey to household integration is far more complex. Consumers eagerly await the day when humanoid robots become personal assistants, but industry experts caution that significant challenges must be overcome before this vision becomes reality .
1. Technical Complexity in Unstructured Environments
Households are inherently unstructured and highly variable, with diverse layouts, unpredictable user commands, and personalized needs. Unlike factories, where workflows are standardized, homes demand robots that can adapt to infinite scenarios, from navigating cluttered rooms to understanding ambiguous requests. Yao Maoqing, Partner at Zhiyuan Robotics, emphasizes that humanoid robots must first master structured and semi-structured environments, accumulating data to enhance their general intelligence through large-scale models before tackling open-ended household tasks . This evolutionary process requires time and iterative refinement, as even minor environmental variations can perplex current systems.
2. Cost Barriers for Mass Adoption
Price remains a major obstacle. Currently, humanoid robots cost hundreds of thousands of yuan, far beyond the average household budget. Chen Peng, General Manager of Wuba Intelligent Technology, estimates that prices must drop to around 100,000 yuan ($13,800) or lower to become accessible to ordinary consumers . Reducing costs requires breakthroughs in materials science, mass production, and supply chain optimization. For instance, economies of scale in manufacturing could lower component costs, while advancements in modular design might simplify maintenance and upgrades.
3. Safety and Reliability Standards
Integrating large mechanical devices into homes raises significant safety concerns. Questions about potential physical harm, property damage, or security vulnerabilities—such as privacy breaches from built-in sensors—must be addressed through standardized safety protocols. Yao Maoqing stresses the need for unified industry standards to govern robot design, operation, and accident liability, comparable to regulations in autonomous driving . Without clear guidelines, consumer trust will remain elusive, hindering market acceptance.
4. Ecosystem Development
A robust supporting ecosystem is essential for humanoid robots to thrive in households. This includes legal frameworks to address liability and privacy issues, insurance products to cover potential damages, and after-sales services for maintenance and repairs. Xiang Zhong draws a parallel with autonomous driving, noting that humanoid robots will require comprehensive regulations to handle scenarios like accidents or data leaks . Additionally, user training programs may be necessary to ensure safe and effective operation, especially for elderly users.
5. Emotional and Societal Acceptance
Beyond technical and economic factors, societal attitudes toward humanoid robots will shape their adoption. While their human-like appearance enhances appeal in caregiving roles, it may also trigger unease or ethical concerns about reliance on machines for emotional support. Cultural perceptions of robotics as “helpers” versus “replacements” will influence how households embrace these technologies.
The Future Outlook: A Transformative Paradigm Shift
Despite the challenges, industry leaders remain optimistic about the long-term potential of household humanoid robots. Xiang Zhong envisions a future where these robots become as ubiquitous as automobiles, transforming daily life and becoming essential tools for productivity and companionship .
The key lies in incremental progress. As robots master industrial and commercial tasks, they will accumulate the data and capabilities needed to tackle household complexity. Breakthroughs in artificial general intelligence (AGI) and large language models could accelerate this process, enabling robots to understand natural language commands and adapt to diverse contexts.
Moreover, the aging population in China and globally will drive demand for elderly care solutions, creating a compelling market incentive for household robots. If manufacturers can address cost, safety, and usability concerns, humanoid robots could soon become indispensable in assisting with daily chores, monitoring health, and providing companionship, particularly for senior citizens living alone.
Conclusion: Balancing Ambition and Realism
The era of humanoid robots is undeniably underway, with industrial applications leading the charge. However, their integration into households is a marathon, not a sprint, requiring coordinated advancements in technology, policy, and societal acceptance. As governments, enterprises, and researchers collaborate to overcome technical barriers and build supportive ecosystems, the day when humanoid robots become part of everyday life may be closer than we think. For now, while the stage is set for commercialization in structured environments, the journey to our living rooms remains a testament to the complex interplay of innovation, regulation, and human readiness for change.
As we watch these mechanical marvels evolve, one thing is clear: the rise of humanoid robots is not just about technology—it’s about redefining the boundaries of human-machine collaboration and imagining a future where innovation serves both productivity and quality of life. The question is not if they will enter our homes, but when we will be ready to welcome them as part of the family.