Reference News Network, January 8 report. According to the website of the Financial Times of the UK on January 6, in the past year, the humanoid robot industry, which has broad industrial application prospects and is supported by industry giants such as Elon Musk of Tesla, has made significant progress.
Although Tesla and its "Optimus" robot frequently dominate media headlines, China is accelerating its catch-up in the humanoid robot sector, directly driving a surge in stock prices in this segment. As of October 2025, the Solaris China Humanoid Robot Index had risen 60% from the beginning of the year, nearly three times the increase of the CSI 300 benchmark index. The leading company in the industry, UBTech, saw its stock price double in 2025, while local competitor Unitree Technology is also preparing for an IPO.
This development boom has also attracted many cross-industry companies. Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer XPeng plans to start mass production of its "Iron Man" robot in 2026.
On the surface, the humanoid robot sector is a highly promising one, deeply integrated with the booming development of artificial intelligence. China has made significant progress in motion control, one of the most difficult technologies to master. Domestic humanoid robot manufacturers are gradually moving towards mass production, with UBTech's 2025 capacity exceeding 1,000 units. Official data shows that in the first half of 2025, the output of industrial robots in China increased by more than one-third year-on-year.
However, the reality is that current humanoid robots remain highly dependent on human control and support. They operate using traditional control systems and require close human supervision throughout. This is far from the vision of software self-iteration and low-cost investment. More importantly, the production and manufacturing of humanoid robots have not yet achieved profitability. Among the approximately 150 humanoid robot manufacturers in China, many companies, including UBTech, are still in a loss-making state.
Despite these limitations, China has favorable conditions to lead the global humanoid robot industry, at least during the capital-intensive phase of the industry. In a competitive arena where manufacturing scale and cost control are core strengths, China's advantages are significant. However, it should be noted that the future core driver of the humanoid robot industry will shift to artificial intelligence and software technology, which typically offer higher profit margins and also pose new technical requirements.
On April 19, 2025, the 2025 Beijing Yizhuang Half Marathon and the Humanoid Robot Half Marathon were held in Beijing Yizhuang. A photo shows Tian Gong team member Tian Gong Ultra (third from left) running toward the finish line during the event. (Li He photo)
Original article: toutiao.com/article/7592861547458855464/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.