UBTECH's new industrial robot used at BYD factory

Video and photos courtesy of UBTECH

UBTECH, a robotics company headquartered in Shenzhen, announced today that its recently launched industrial humanoid robot Walker S1 has been initiated into the BYD factory for task training.

The integration of Walker S1 into BYD’s training regimen marks a significant milestone for UBTECH, as the Shenzhen-based car manufacturer BYD leads global sales in new energy vehicles.

UBTECH’s Walker S1 works in the BYD factory in Changsha, capital of Hunan Province. The Shenzhen-based robotics company announced yesterday that its recently launched industrial humanoid robot, the Walker S1, is being used in the factory for task training. 

Standing at a height of 1.72 meters, Walker S1 weighs 76 kilograms and is capable of carrying a load of 15 kilograms while walking. It is designed to work in tandem with L4-level unmanned logistics vehicles, forklifts, industrial mobile robots, and sophisticated manufacturing management systems.

According to UBTECH, Walker S1 offers the world’s first collaborative industrial application solution between humanoid robots and autonomous logistics vehicles, paving the way for large-scale commercial applications of unmanned operations in both indoor and outdoor logistics scenarios.

As of now, UBTECH is the only humanoid robot company globally to have formed partnerships with multiple automobile manufacturers. The company’s Walker S industrial robot series has become the most extensively trained humanoid robot in car factories worldwide, with over 500 pre-orders from car manufacturers already in the pipeline, the company said.

According to a spokesperson from UBTECH, the Walker S series robots are dedicated to establishing a humanoid robot application standard for diverse industrial tasks. These robots are refined through continuous training and technological advancements to meet the stringent demands of industrial scenarios, with a focus on safety, reliability, stability, practicality, and high load-bearing capabilities.

UBTECH's industrial humanoid robot Walker S1 works in a BYD factory in Changsha.

Since the beginning of this year, UBTECH has led collaborations with automotive giants, including Dongfeng Liuzhou Motor Co., Geely, FAW Hongqi, FAW-Volkswagen, and Audi FAW.

Additionally, the company has engaged in cross-sector collaborations with leading businesses such as Foxconn and SF Express to drive large-scale and impactful applications of humanoid robots in representative manufacturing scenarios.

A manufacturing talent development guide released by departments including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology foresees a shortfall of around 30 million skilled workers in 10 critical manufacturing sectors by 2025. Humanoid robots capable of navigating unstructured environments are seen as a viable solution to mitigate labor demands within the manufacturing sector.