China Deploys Humanoid Robot Workers in Auto Manufacturing Plants...

Chinese technology conglomerate UBTECH Robotics announced deployment of its Walker S2 humanoid robots at scale across five major automotive manufacturing plants, including facilities operated by BYD, SAIC, and Geely. A total of 2,000 Walker S2 units are now performing tasks including body panel assembly, quality inspection, component installation, and logistics within the plants. The robots operate 20-hour shifts, require no protective equipment, and can switch between tasks by downloading new skill modules over the air in under four minutes. UBTECH said the per-robot deployment cost has fallen below $40,000 following breakthroughs in actuator and sensor manufacturing at scale. Chinese government officials described the deployment as a national industrial milestone and pledged to have 100,000 humanoid robots operational in Chinese factories by 2027.