UBTech unveils world's first multi-humanoid collaborative system

In a scene straight from science fiction, dozens of UBTech's Walker S humanoid robots are at work in a Shenzhen automotive factory, powered by the world's first multi-humanoid collaborative program.

A video released by Hong Kong-listed UBTech on Monday showcased the robots sorting, handling, and performing precision assembly tasks, marking a great leap forward in the burgeoning humanoid robot industry.

The deployment at the Zeekr, a Chinese new-energy vehicle brand, features the UBTech "BrainNet" system designed to train and manage multiple Walker S robots across complex industrial scenarios. This marks a shift "from individual robot autonomy to group intelligence," as UBTech describes it, promising to dramatically improve work efficiency.

UBTech's robots are already in use at major Chinese manufacturers such as BYD and logistics giants such as SF Express. However, this new collaborative system represents a major advancement, aligning with China's national strategy to lead in artificial intelligence and robotics.

The market reflects this ambition. China's humanoid robot market, valued at 2.76 billion yuan (US$378 million) in 2024, is projected to explode to 75 billion yuan by 2029, capturing a significant third of the global market.

Also on Monday, Shenzhen released a city-level plan to accelerate humanoid robot development between 2025 and 2027. The plan focuses on core technologies, including embodied intelligent robots, AI chips, bionic dexterous hands, and AI large language models.

UBTech has also developed the world's first multimodal-reasoning model for humanoid robots, currently powered by DeepSeek-R1 models.

In the HK stock market, UBTech's stock surged 2.71 percent to close at HK$92.8 (US$11.9) on Monday, contributing to a 69-percent rise this year fueled by the humanoid robot boom.