Media Person: The advantage of Chinese humanoid robots lies in the maturity of their hardware supply chain and the speed of iteration—something America finds hard to catch up with.
Afra Wang, a freelance writer living in the U.S., is the lead author of Concurrent, an industry newsletter focusing on high-tech developments—especially in artificial intelligence—in China and Silicon Valley, U.S.
rfi: China’s humanoid robot sector has developed remarkably fast in recent years, appearing to be in a leading position. At least during the 2026 Spring Festival Gala, there were numerous robot performances. These robots can perform artistic acts and even enter homes as companions for emotional support. Yet such applications seem uncommon in the U.S. and Europe...
Afra Wang: First, the home-companion robots seen at the Spring Festival Gala don’t actually exist yet. It was merely a skit performance on stage. Currently, robots simply don’t have that capability—there’s no real ability to perform household chores or provide meaningful companionship. Their flexibility and other functions are still severely limited.
Second, Unitree Robotics has indeed taken a leading position globally in the humanoid robotics field and is soon to go public. What truly sets it apart from competitors is the maturity of its hardware supply chain and the rapid pace of iteration—on cost, mass production, and commercialization, it has already left companies like Boston Dynamics (known for high-difficulty dynamic movements) far behind.
Naturally, when looking at specific technical capabilities or movement skills, both sides have their own strengths. But the overall completeness and rapid iteration of China’s entire supply chain are something most American robotics companies simply cannot keep up with.
Source: rfi
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1870313892094985/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.