A truly staggering number of humanlike robots are congregating in Beijing, capping off a huge week in embodied artificial intelligence.
Beijing hosted the 10th annual World Robot Conference (WRC), which featured more than 500 exhibits from around 200 Chinese and international robotics firms. More than 100 new robotic products debuted, nearly double the number from 2024.
4S Robot Store
Just in time for the conference, the world’s first full-service store dedicated entirely to humanoid and intelligent robots opened in Beijing’s high-tech Yizhuang district, also known as E-Town.
The four-story, government-run robot mall reportedly features as many as 100 robot models from more than 40 Chinese brands, including Unitree Robotics and UBTECH. It adopts the 4S model, which stands for sales, spare parts, service, and surveys, similar to the automotive industry’s full lifecycle ecosystem approach.
The facility spans a reported 4,000 square meters, integrating entertainment, industrial applications, diagnostic services, and high-end business negotiation spaces across its floors.
Viral footage from the outlet show hyper-realistic androids from the Dalian company EX Robot, which also had a prominent exhibit at the conference. Its robots include historical figures like Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, and the Chinese poet Li Bai. The fake humans cost in the six figures and are featured at museums and science exhibits throughout China. However, EX Robot is working toward wider-scale commercialization as well as bipedal locomotion.
Fourier Launches GR-3
Shanghai-based Fourier brought its third-generation bipedal robot that’s engineered to connect with people emotionally.
Just before the event, the perceived leader in China’s humanoid robotics scene officially launched the robot called the GR-3, which is a dramatic departure from its previous general-purpose humanoids. Fourier says the so-called care bot reacts quickly but can also hold emotionally intelligent and humanlike conversations. It responds to voice, touch, and facial expressions using its LLM-powered perception system.
The robot’s AI-powered emotion engine is designed to understand feelings and rely with kindness and warmth. It uses four microphones to hear clearly from all directions, while cameras in its head track faces, follow movements, and maintain eye contact.
Standing 165 cm (5’5″), the GR-3 features soft, warm-touch materials, cushion-rounded surfaces, and a friendly face with expressive eyes, so it feels more like a companion than a machine. According to Fourier, the robot runs 24/7 thanks to its hot-swappable batteries and smart power use. It moves smoothly with up to 55 degrees of freedom (DoF) and dexterous hands with 12 DoF for detailed tasks.
The humanoid has preconfigured bipedal locomotion modes, including walk, energy save mode, and a playful bouncy walk. Fourier says developers can customize the AI robot’s brain using open APIs.
The robot is intended for real-world care environments like hospitals, eldercare centers, and schools. Fourier hasn’t publicly disclosed pricing, but its previous GR robots sell for more than $100K.
Fourier N1 Mimic Teletubbies
Fourier, formerly known as Fourier Intelligence, also showcased its short humanoid, the N1, during the World Robot Conference.
The company shared cheeky footage with four of the robots learning to dance like Teletubbies. Engineers taught them the routine using motion capture (MoCap) and reinforcement learning. Digital twins of the robots learned in simulation within NVIDIA’s Isaac Sim platform. The learned behaviors were then transferred to the physical bots via a process called Sim2Real, short for Simulation to Reality.
Fourier’s N1 robot, introduced earlier in 2025, stands 1.3 m (4’2″) tall, boasts 34 DoF, and can run at speeds up to 3.5 m/s (7.5 mph). The N1 is priced around $27,000 and it’s geared toward researchers and developers.
EngineAI’s $5K Bot
Heading into the conference, the buzzy Shenzhen startup EngineAI teased its next-generation machine that brings the barrier of entry into humanoid robotics to an all-time low.
EngineAI says the anime-inspired robot, the SA02, is intended as a social companion for young people. Its $5,300 price tag is apparently intended to undercut Unitree’s new humanoid, the R1, which is priced starting at $5,900.
According to the startup, the new robot stands 125 cm (4’1″) and weighs just 25 kg (55 lb). It boasts a reported 26 DoF. It’s apparently a full-bodied version of EngineAI’s SA01 biped, which was launched in July 2024 as an educational and research platform. That robot featured an open-source architecture, reinforcement learning control, and was priced at $5,400.
EngineAI is also developing a full-sized humanoid codenamed the T800 after the iconic synthetic human from The Terminator series.
At the Beijing conference, EngineAI’s robots demonstrated their dancing capabilities that went viral earlier in 2025 in a homage to the Hong Kong cult classic Kung Fu Hustle (2004). The robot, called the PM01, was introduced in December 2024. Initially priced under $15,000 to rival Unitree’s G1, its starting price has since increased to more than $25,000.
Google DeepMind’s World Model
Meanwhile in the West, tech leaders announced several major developments as they race Chinese firms to get intelligent robots to the masses.
Google DeepMind unveiled Genie 3, a general-purpose, AI-powered world model that generates interactive, dynamic, three-dimensional environments from text prompts. The model allows for real-time navigation in high definition at 24 frames per second for several minutes.
DeepMind positions Genie 3 as a vast space to train agents like robots and autonomous systems, basically a virtual sandbox where robots can learn behaviors, test decisions, and build situational awareness before operating in reality. It simulates real-world physics, including water, lighting, and natural phenomena, and can even model vibrant ecosystems with animal and plant behaviors.
Skild AI’s Robot Brain Gets Smarter
In Pittsburgh, the unicorn startup Skild AI shared the progress it’s making developing a massive general-purpose AI brain for robots of all form factors.
The startup, which is valued at $4.5 billion, shared fresh footage of a humanoid robot trained to independently navigate and climb completely unfamiliar environments. According to Skild, the robotic humanoid operates end-to-end from vision, meaning it processes visual input directly to command actions without prebuilt 3D maps.
The startup says its so-called omni-bodied AI model is trained on huge amounts of data from simulations, Internet videos, and real-world experiences. Skild says the robot brain is improving rapidly, adapting to different models and new challenges.
Figure AI Robots Test Intelligence
Another US unicorn AI and robotics firm, Figure, shared footage of its flagship humanoid robot, the Figure 02, using its onboard AI to test its intelligence and fine motor skills.
“We now test our humanoid robots by having its onboard neural network play games that challenge its intelligence and fine motor skills,” Figure founder Brett Adcock said on the X social media platform.
Adcock said the tests will only get more challenging as the startup advances its end-to-end Helix AI model that powers its robots. The billionaire founder also recently shared footage of a Figure 02 doing laundry at his home autonomously. The company aims to ship 100,000 of its humanoids within the next four years.
The Future of Embodied AI
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