Shenzhen-based Astribot just launched one of China’s cheapest humanoid robots yet.
Astribot, also known as Stardust Intelligence, has started taking orders for its T1, with pricing starting around $13,000. It’s a scaled down version of the startup’s flagship S1 humanoid robot that’s priced around $100,000.
The T1 stands 155 cm (5 foot 1), weighs 66 kg (146 lbs), has 23 degrees of freedom (DoF), and can carry up to 5 kg (11 lbs) with one arm. It integrates with robot grippers and five-fingered end effectors for tasks ranging from cooking to lab assistance to folding laundry to sorting auto marts to EV charging.
Like the S1, the wheeled humanoid’s movements are powered by a cable-driven architecture. Its artificial intelligence learns largely from human demonstration data. Astribot is marketing the new humanoid as a platform for practical testing and deployment of next-gen machines.
Astribot was launched in 2022 by Lai Jie, who previously worked with the Tencent Robotics Lab, Baidu, and the Hong Kong Polytechnic Institute. It’s raised more around $100 million since 2024. Backers include Yunqi Partners, Decent Capital, Matrix Partners China, Jinqiu Fund, Ant Group, Guoke Investment, Boom Advance Capital, Time Bole, and Nanshan strategic emerging investment capital.