China leads in race for humanoid supremacy

Finishing a 21-kilometre half-marathon race at an average speed of 8.2 km/hour is nothing to write home about – unless you are a robot.

So, the winner of the marathon held in Beijing recently, Tiangong Ultra humanoid robot, has a lot to brag about, as its more famous rivals in the West are yet to accomplish such endurance and agility skills.

There was a time when US-based Boston Dynamics and Elon Musk’s Tesla used to set off a lot of internet chatter with videos showcasing how sleek their robots had become. Amazon has also made some headway with robotics, though that is limited to their warehouse requirements. Tech giants like Google and Apple are rumoured to be exploring humanoid development, though very little has been revealed.

Recent advances by Chinese companies have shifted the narrative away from the West, with experts now predicting that China is close to a “ChatGPT moment” in robotics.

Marathon Endurance

Take the Beijing marathon itself. Sure, there were some comical moments of robots tripping over and losing their heads. But the fact that six of the 21 participating companies managed to get their robots through the gruelling race is remarkable.

The winning robot from the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center surpassed Elon Musk’s much-hyped Optimus robots, which have only demonstrated maximum speeds of 8 km/hr. While Boston Dynamics' Atlas might be faster in short sprints, its battery life falls short.

Such technological advances by China do not come through flashes of brilliance by researchers tinkering away in private labs, but are the result of sustained planning and effort by Beijing.

Like a professional marathoner, China studied the course well, provided enough muscle and resources, and created an elite institution by bringing together the best from the private sector. The Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center, set up two years ago, was later upgraded to national status.

The 14th National People’s Congress (NPC) held in Beijing recently proposed creating a growth mechanism for future industries, including embodied intelligence, first time that term is appearing in China's national report. Embodied intelligence refers to an intelligent system or robot that can perceive, interact, and make decisions based on real-time sensory input.

Demographics Dilemma

The Chinese Communist Party had a reason to push ahead with robotics development too. Despite being a nation of 1.2 billion people, China faces a rising labour shortage, thanks to its draconian one-child policy implemented in 1979. While an ageing society like Japan will increasingly rely on automation for elderly care, China will need mechanical hands on factory floors too – for reasons beyond economics.

With an ageing population and a shrinking workforce, China began laying the groundwork for technological solutions years before the crisis would peak. The Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center represents one of many “hydration stations” established along this carefully mapped route. This isn't a coincidence – it’s strategic foresight.

This has led to remarkable results. According to industry analyses, Chinese companies now represent 35 of the top 100 firms in the humanoid robotics value chain and nine of the 22 companies capable of producing fully integrated humanoid robots – compared to just five in the United States. Most critically, Chinese robotics manufacturers have established wholly domestic supply chains, uncoupled from foreign suppliers.

Domestic Champions

The Unitree G1, described by SemiAnalysis as “the only viable humanoid robot on the market”, is entirely decoupled from American components. Overall, China controls approximately 70 percent of the supply chain for humanoid robot components – creating the equivalent of a home-field advantage in this technological marathon.

The integration of artificial intelligence, particularly with the emergence of more accessible AI models like DeepSeek, is expected to accelerate robotics adoption on an unprecedented scale. This convergence of AI and robotics creates a powerful synergy that could advance China’s technological capabilities rapidly.

A clue about the importance of this convergence came when Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, visited China in January 2025. He notably met with leaders of the country's robotics sector, including Xingxing Wang, CEO of Unitree Robotics, and He Wang, founder of Galbot. These meetings with young tech entrepreneurs, both in their early 30s, underscore the strategic importance of robotics in China’s technological ecosystem.

Future Course

While competitors focus primarily on factory automation – Honda's efforts to reduce floor staff by 30 percent in its Chinese EV factory, for instance – China's vision extends far beyond industrial settings. Chinese authorities understand that addressing their demographic challenges requires robots that can function in diverse environments throughout society.

This explains the emphasis on humanoid form factors capable of navigating human-designed spaces. The Tiangong's ability to move smoothly on complex terrains such as slopes, stairs, grass, gravel, and sand is not merely a technical achievement – it is preparation for deployment in everyday environments where ageing populations will need assistance.

Moreover, with drones and other autonomous weapons becoming part of modern warfare, it is not difficult to imagine that an ambitious nation like China would be considering the deployment of robotic soldiers.

Chinese manufacturers have announced plans to produce 5,000 humanoid robots in 2024 alone – matching Tesla's declared ambition for this year for Optimus. EV makers like BYD and Geely have already deployed Unitree's humanoid robots in their factories, representing early adoption of technologies that will eventually spread throughout society.

Home Stretch

Industry analysts predict component costs could fall by 70 percent over the next five years, potentially triggering what some call “a DeepSeek effect” – when reduced costs enable widespread adoption. The China Academy of Information and Communications Technology reports that Chinese firms now “cover the entire industrial chain" from components to systems integration – positioning them for the final push toward mass deployment.

Humanoid robots capable of assisting in healthcare, elder care, hospitality, retail, and other service sectors represent China's strategy for maintaining economic productivity despite population challenges. The technical capabilities demonstrated in Beijing's half-marathon – endurance, stability, heat management, and adaptability – are precisely the qualities needed for robots that will work alongside humans in everyday settings.

The half-marathon in Beijing was not just a technological demonstration – it was a declaration that China is leading a race it has been strategically preparing for over decades. While others are still warming up, China is already hitting its stride in the long-distance robotics marathon, with a clear course mapped out to address one of its most significant national challenges.

Plans to boost manufacturing

If you are a product builder or hoping to become one, Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) is looking for you. They want to encourage startups that will help reduce India's import bill, which now runs into 610 billion US dollars. Under the “Build it Big for Billions” scheme, KSUM will offer grants of up to 1 crore rupees, access to funding opportunities, research and prototype support, as well as mentoring by experts. The initiative is open to early-stage innovators, expanding startups, and research-driven entrepreneurs, says their press note. The aim is to develop scalable products in key sectors like electronics, healthcare, and energy technology.

This comes weeks after the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) in New Delhi unveiled Genesis (Gen-Next Support for Innovative Startups) worth 490 crore rupees for seeding deeptech startups in non-metro cities. Panneerselvam Madanagopal, CEO of the MeitY Startup Hub, tells YourStory that the aim is to create patient capital and invest in strategic startups with a 5–10 year gestation period, which VCs shy away from. Hopefully, such efforts will provide some encouragement to the manufacturing sector in India, which has never received the kind of boost the IT sector enjoyed.

Korean firms offer a new deal

Why buy a fridge or television when you can rent it from reputed manufacturers? This is the new idea from South Korean companies like Samsung and LG to overcome sales stagnation. Customers can rent products such as TVs, refrigerators, washing machines, and vacuum cleaners under a subscription plan lasting between 36 and 60 months for a monthly fee. This cuts the initial purchase cost and makes high-end products more accessible, says The Korea Bizwire. They also provide personalised care services, with subscribers receiving a monthly “Care Report,” offering insights into device diagnostics, usage patterns, and energy consumption.

A video idea that went viral

When PayPal colleagues Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim launched a video hosting channel in February 2005, little did they know how big YouTube was going to be. The first video posted by Karim on the platform was titled “Me at the Zoo” – a 19-second clip showing Karim at the San Diego Zoo's elephant exhibit. Over the next two decades, it has become the world's largest digital video service in terms of time spent by viewers and ad revenue. The platform reached more than 2.5 billion viewers globally last year and now has 100 million premium subscribers. Google purchased YouTube in 2006 for 1.65 billion US dollars, and the channel is projected to surpass all US cable television services in paid subscribers within two years, according to TechXplore.

Your mum is just an app away

Too busy to call your elderly parents? No problem – there’s now an app for outsourcing guilt. InTouch, a new AI tool does the job for you. This handy little app will ring up your elderly relative, listen patiently, and chat away while you heroically tackle life’s big priorities – like doom-scrolling Instagram or sending Good Mornings on WhatsApp. After the call, you’ll get a summary to indicate what sort of a mood your relative was, like “bad mood” and “neutral”. Joseph Cox of 404 Media tested the product by using it on his mum, and her verdict: “I would feel terrible if my child used it.” But the company says hundreds of users are already using the service across North America and Europe.