UBTECH Robotics just opened preorders for a full-sized humanoid robot developed in collaboration with the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center.
The leading Chinese robotics firm says it will start shipping the Tiangong Walker robots during the second quarter of 2025. The robot is intended for research and educational purposes.
Its relatively low price point of $41.3K lowers the barrier of entry for humanoid robotics technology. Full-sized humanoids used by research teams, like Unitree’s H1 and Fourier’s GR-2, typically cost in the six figures.
Perceived leaders in the emerging humanoid robotics market are aiming to offer their creations to the consumer market for between $20K and $30K once production is scaled. In the West, a growing number of companies like Tesla, Figure, and 1X Technologies are racing to bring their AI-powered humanoids to market. They’re planning to manufacture hundreds of thousands of robots in the next few years for industrial and household use cases.
Shorter humanoids like the Unitree G1, Booster T1, and EngineAI PM01 are growing in popularity with their much lower entry prices starting around $13K. Another startup, Beijing-based NOETIX Robotics, just unveiled its 1.3 meter humanoid that starts at $6.3K.
According to Shenzhen-based UBTECH, the Tiangong Walker stands 1.7 meters (5 feet 6 inches) and has 20 degrees of freedom (DoF). It features a biomimetic torso. It can run at speeds up to 10 km/h (6.2 mph).
The humanoid robot can navigate difficult terrains like slopes, steps, sand, and snow while withstanding impact forces. Tiangong Walker supports integrations with depth cameras, LiDAR, Nvidia Orin computing boards, six-axis sensors, collaborative dual arms, and dexterous hands. As a research platform, the robot also provides full access to motor, sensor, and motion control interfaces.
UBTECH is also planning to mass produce the next-generation iteration of its flagship industrial humanoid, the Walker S1, this year. The robot is gaining popularity in China’s manufacturing sector, with early adopters including Foxconn, SF Express, and BYD, which surpassed Tesla in 2024 as the world’s top EV maker by volume.
At Foxconn, Walker robots are being deployed for iPhone assembly tasks, making them part of global manufacturing. After testing, the electronics manufacturing giant plans to deploy the robots in its automotive plant in Zhengzhou.