China’s Humanoid Robots: From Mockery to Technological Triumph
China’s ambitions in humanoid robotics can be traced back to the 863 Program launched in 1986 to advance the country in high-tech fields.
Jia Jia
Jia Jia is a humanoid robot developed by the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) and unveiled in 2016. Known for her realistic facial features and expressive interactions, Jia Jia was designed to resemble a young woman and demonstrate advances in human-robot communication. She can recognize faces, understand speech, respond conversationally in Mandarin, and display natural facial expressions. Standing about 170 cm (5 feet 7 inches) tall, Jia Jia represents one of China’s most notable achievements in social robotics, blending AI, robotics, and lifelike design for educational and public engagement purposes.