38 h. ago China’s CATL marks trailblazing deployment of humanoid robots at scale on the factory floor

Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL), the world’s largest maker of electric vehicle (EV) batteries, has started deploying humanoid robots at scale within its Zhongzhou production base in Luoyang, a city in central Henan province. The company on Wednesday described its deployment at scale as a “world’s first”, as humanoid robots built by start-up Spirit AI performed complex tasks with speeds that matched those of skilled human workers. Spirit AI’s Xiaomo robots have been assigned to plug in...

Politics

52 h. ago China cements global lead in smart vacuums as Picea acquires Roomba maker iRobot

Chinese robotics manufacturers are set to cement their dominance in the global smart vacuum market with Picea Robotics’ acquisition of Roomba maker iRobot, after the US firm’s proposed sale to Amazon.com last year fell through due to regulatory hurdles. China-based suppliers held the top five spots for worldwide smart robotic vacuum shipments in the first three quarters of 2025, led by Roborock with a 21.7 per cent market share, equal to 3.8 million units, according to data from research firm...

Politics

60 h. ago China Is Falling Behind at the Sharp End of the Global Robot Race

China Is Falling Behind at the Sharp End of the Global Robot Race  The Wire China

Politics

63 h. ago Xpeng CEO dismisses AI bubble fears, predicts robots will soon be affordable for households

He Xiaopeng, co-founder and CEO of Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker Xpeng, is not concerned about a bubble in the artificial intelligence sector and believes autonomous cars will outperform human drivers sometime soon. Sharing his thoughts on Weibo, the billionaire entrepreneur tried to allay public concerns about an overheated AI industry, adding that he foresaw vast opportunities ahead. “Any technological revolution will inevitably see bubbles in some aspects during a certain period of...

Politics

3 d. ago Hong Kong customs seizes HK$256 million of suspected cocaine stashed in ship hull

Hong Kong customs has, for the first time, uncovered a drug smuggling operation involving an underwater compartment of a large cargo ship, resulting in the seizure of HK$256 million (US$32.89 million) worth of suspected cocaine. The operation last month, supported by intelligence from mainland China and underwater robots, also disrupted what investigators believed was an attempt to use the vessel as a huge drug storage site. Customs Drug Investigation Bureau head Lau Yuk-lung on Tuesday said...

Economics

4 d. ago Trump’s Tech Masterstroke: Uniting Silicon Valley To Beat China – Analysis

Trump’s Tech Masterstroke: Uniting Silicon Valley To Beat China – Analysis  Eurasia Review

Politics

5 d. ago China’s Unitree teases platform allowing users to control robots through smartphones

Humanoid robot maker Unitree Robotics has teased what it calls the world’s first humanoid robot “app store”, a developer platform designed to bring embodied intelligence into everyday life by allowing users to access and control robots directly through their smartphones. The Hangzhou-based robotics unicorn unveiled a centralised programme, dubbed the Unitree Robotics Developer Platform, offering functions such as datasets and remote control programmes for humanoids. Unitree called it the...

Technology

5 d. ago China’s Unitree teases platform allowing users to control robots via smartphones

China’s Unitree teases platform allowing users to control robots via smartphones  South China Morning Post

Technology

5 d. ago Stuck in the factory: How robotics pioneer Japan missed the AI

While humanoid robots from China and the US have captured the imagination of people for their skill at serving drinks, taking part in boxing matches and running marathons, and entertaining through dance moves on stage, their counterparts in Japan – the long-time leader of the robotics world – are mostly confined to factories. Japan’s early forays into humanoids date back to the 1960s, so what happened along the way? At the 26th International Robot Exhibition (IREX), a four-day, biennial industry...

Politics

6 d. ago Even in Silicon Valley, skepticism looms over robots, while 'China has certainly a lot more momentum on humanoids'

Even in Silicon Valley, skepticism looms over robots, while 'China has certainly a lot more momentum on humanoids'  Fortune

Politics

9 d. ago Australia’s social media ban offers a path between excess and inaction

On December 10, Australia began enforcing the world’s strictest social media age rule: platforms must now verify that users are aged 16 or above, or face fines of up to A$49.5 million (US$33 million), a bold experiment in returning oversight of childhood from Silicon Valley to democratically elected institutions. The relevant law, passed by the Australian parliament last year, represents more than protectionism or moral panic. It is a deliberate experiment in rebalancing the roles of state,...

Politics

9 d. ago Silicon Valley Is Racing to Make Critical Minerals—and Blunt China’s Dominance

Silicon Valley Is Racing to Make Critical Minerals—and Blunt China’s Dominance  The Wall Street Journal

Politics

9 d. ago Nio lidar supplier Seyond soars in Hong Kong debut after HK$1 billion de

Nio’s lidar supplier Seyond Holdings debuted on the Hong Kong stock exchange on Wednesday, through a de-SPAC transaction, merging with special purpose acquisition company TechStar Acquisition and raising a total of HK$1.03 billion (US$132.4 million). The Silicon Valley-based company, which designs, develops and produces light detecting and ranging sensors for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), saw its shares – issued at HK$10 each – jump as high as HK$17.30 in morning trading before...

Economics

1 week ago China’s Deep Robotics raises US$70 million as sector draws more investors

Deep Robotics – one of the “Six Little Dragons” from Hangzhou, the capital of eastern Zhejiang province – on Tuesday said it had raised 500 million yuan (US$70 million) in fresh funding from a group of Chinese investors. According to the company’s statement, its latest round of financing was led by CMB International, China Asset Management and funds under state-owned telecommunications network operators China Telecom and China Unicom. Deep Robotics founder and CEO Zhu Qiuguo, who also serves as...

Economics

1 week ago China’s Deep Robotics raises US$70 million in fresh funds as sector draws more investors

Deep Robotics – one of the “Six Little Dragons” from Hangzhou, the capital of eastern Zhejiang province – on Tuesday said it had raised 500 million yuan (US$70 million) in fresh funding from a group of Chinese investors. According to the company’s statement, its latest round of financing was led by CMB International, China Asset Management and funds under state-owned telecommunications network operators China Telecom and China Unicom. Deep Robotics founder and CEO Zhu Qiuguo, who also serves as...

Economics

1 week ago Beijing Sounds the Alarm: China’s Own Regulators Warn of a Humanoid

Beijing Sounds the Alarm: China’s Own Regulators Warn of a Humanoid-Robot Bubble  Quasa.io

Events

1 week ago China's Baidu robotaxi hits pedestrians, traps one person beneath car

China's Baidu robotaxi hits pedestrians, traps one person beneath car  Interesting Engineering

Events

1 week ago China's Tsinghua University sets up research institute in push for robotics talent

China's Tsinghua University sets up research institute in push for robotics talent  The Star

Technology

1 week ago China accelerates humanoid robotics as border pilot announced

China accelerates humanoid robotics as border pilot announced  Dagens.com

Politics

1 week ago China’s Pudu Robotics rolls out overseas charm offensive with robot dog

A pale-grey, nearly one-metre-tall, four-legged robot drew crowds at Tokyo’s International Robot Exhibition, lowering itself down some steps before lifting its right foreleg as if to greet onlookers. It rolled around one of the exhibition halls on wheels, avoiding obstacles in its path. The quadruped, dubbed the D5, is the latest model unveiled on Wednesday by Chinese robot maker Pudu Robotics at IREX – a biennial industry showcase at Tokyo Big Sight from December 3 to 6. It is Pudu’s second...

Politics