If you want to see a robot fold laundry, consider getting a robot dog or humanoid companion for emotional support, or just want to see robots boxing and dancing, Beijing is the place to be right now.
The 2026 World Robot Conference in China kicked off Wednesday with companies promoting the country’s growing robotics industry as it seeks to take robots from flashy showcases to practical, everyday use in factories and beyond.
Organizers say the five-day event will feature about 3,000 items. There was no sign of other countries exhibiting despite the name of the conference.
One of the main attractions on Wednesday was the booth of Unitree, one of China’s leading humanoid robot makers, which had several of its models doing dance and boxing routines. One person even played ping pong against a human opponent.
At the beginning of the conference, Unitree debuted on the Shanghai stock market.
The conference comes just weeks after the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced a ban on the importation of new foreign-made humanoid robots and power inverters over national security concerns. That move was aimed at China. The ban also extends to the importation of quadruped robots, commonly referred to as “four-legged robot dogs.” The agency cited national security concerns and said that the spread of ever more sophisticated robots that pose cybersecurity and other security risks is a legitimate concern.
Humanoid robot racing
At the event, startup Robotera showed an advanced demo of a humanoid robot torso that sorts parcels on a wheeled tripod base. “They are 85% as good as a human worker,” a sales representative told reporters. The robots have a continuous running time of 900 to 1,000 hours, he said.
Other exhibits included a giant robotic horse you could ride, and DexForce’s humanoid robots that can pack cell phones into boxes.
Another big Chinese robotics firm, UBTECH, showed off a range of industrial models at the conference. Some of the tasks were demonstrated, such as moving components around a factory floor.
But the most popular were humanoid robots with face-like faces that sold as emotional support.And there was a sign beside the gigantic machine, reading, “Is it a ‘machine’ or a ‘human'”? “That’s a distinction for the future.”
Hundreds of robotics startups, some only a couple of years old, were trying to make an impression at the sprawling convention center.“You can see the improvements every year,” said Soumodip Sarkar, executive president of a science park in Portugal who was visiting the expo as part of a tour of factories in China.
UBTECH Robotics’ emotion-care humanoids can speak, make a range of facial expressions, turn their necks and move their hands, said Jiao Jichao, deputy president of the robotics firm. It is offered to private buyers for 168,000 yuan ($24,000).
But experts say that despite ever-more-sophisticated displays, many humanoid robots remain more impressive as performers than practical workers.
Lots of companies had helper robots with mechanical arms and hands. There was a booth with a robot trying to do a seemingly simple task around the house: fold a shirt. It tried for several minutes and was unable to accomplish the task.