China Humanoid Update June E2: Policy, UBTECH, Engine AI

**Uking Sun** (0:01)
Welcome to the weekly update of China's Physical AI, with a focus on humanoid robots. We start with policy news. On June 9th, China launched the 2026 Humanoid Robot and Physical AI Initiative across 10 regions and major state-owned companies. The goal is to move robots out of the lab and into the real world by identifying 100 plus jobs for robots, deploying a fleet of over 10,000 units and providing heavy government backing. This includes funding, rewards and streamlined policies to clear any hurdles. This move perhaps highlights two different approaches to tech. China tends to combine national policy, state-owned workplaces as testing grounds to scale up quickly.
In the US, the development is often driven by venture capital and top tech giants working in private internal loops. Of course, I am not saying whether China's approach is right or wrong. This is simply a general comparison.
Speaking of this different development models, let's look at Galbat, led by Peking University Professor Wang He. Things have been relatively quiet on the news front for Galbat since March, when the company made headlines by securing a record-breaking $345 million plus financing round, backed by state-owned investment firms. However, a recent Beijing Daily Report on June 10th offered a look at what they've been up to behind the scenes. According to Galbat's co-founder Zhang Jizheng, one of their robots has already been working continuously in an automated pharmacy for over a year. It's an industry record. As a prime example of Beijing's thriving tech ecosystem, Galbat has received massive support from the local government. This backing includes crucial R&D funding, computing power subsidies, and help finding real world environments to deploy their tech. Galbat's automated retail solution called Galbat Capsule has already been rolled out to over 100 stores across more than 20 cities nationwide.
Next up, the Second World Humanoid Robot Games will take place at the National Speed Skating Oval from August 22nd to 26th in Beijing, featuring 50 competition categories. One highlight is the emphasis on real world application. Twenty-one of the 50 events are application-based, focusing on practical needs across nine major sectors. Household cleaning, hotel services, industrial production, emergency rescue, library management, retail, office, inspection, and vehicle charging. Three new events, including table tennis and freestyle combat, have been added to evaluate high-intensity, dynamic interaction capabilities. Furthermore, all track events, including the 400 meters, 1,500 meters, and 4 by 100 meters relays, have been upgraded to fully autonomous categories, requiring robots to compete without human intervention. In last August, many robots were competing under human control.
There's some significant movement happening over at XPeng's Robotics Division. Xi Xiaoxin, XPeng's Senior Director of Robot Product Planning, moved on from the company in early June. XPeng said Xi's departure is simply a personal career move. Right now, XPeng's Humanoid Robot Project is moving forward toward mass production exactly as planned by the end of 2026 Days later, He Xiaopeng announced he is taking a much more hands-on role to steer this division. He has personally stepped in as the CEO of the robotics business.
Now to Shenzhen. EngineAI has completed an internal URKL test using its full-size Humanoid Robot, the T800, to validate safety, stability, explosive power and spectator appeal. More than 60 teams from leading universities and technology companies worldwide have registered, with the final 32 set to be announced soon. Real-world combat testing will then begin, culminating in eight finalists. The competition is also becoming a major marketing platform for the Shenzhen-based startup.
Now, some news from Ubtech. Its full-size Bionic Humanoid Robot, Uworld, has received more than 3,000 pre-orders eight days after pre-sales opened on jd.com. Designed for emotional companionship, Uworld Robot supports encrypted memory storage and customized appearance, available only for adult buyers. The robot comes in male and female versions and will hit the market on June 30th. The male model is 183 centimeters tall and weighs 42 kilograms, while the female model is 168 centimeters tall and weighs 35.2 kilograms. For context, China had a population of 240 million singles. With 77 million living alone, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs. But this data was in 2018
Turning to data collection, a new way to acquire real world data. Daimon Robotics incubated by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and China Mobile have partnered to launch a pioneering crowdsourced data collection network. The partners are converting China Mobile's retail stores into data hubs where ordinary citizens can receive quick training, pick up robotic collection gear, such as tactile gloves and cameras, and earn income by logging real world daily tasks at home. Starting in Hunan Province, the initial 1,000 device rollout aims to generate 1 million hours of authentic physical interaction data annually. Finally, I will close this episode with Digua Robotics. You might not hear this name often because they mainly offer robot development kits rather than building their own humanoid brand. But, its flagship high-computing chip built for embodied intelligence, S600, is gaining serious traction. Humanoid companies that integrate S600 include Beijing, X Humanoid, X Square, Spirit AI, Xiaoyubot, and OpenLung. Back in April, it raised 150 million US dollars.