Unitree Founder Says Humanoid Robot Breakthrough Years Away Despite IPO Surge

The big challenge for humanoid robots is still getting the technology to work well, according to industry leaders speaking alongside the World Robot Conference in Beijing this week.

Unitree's founder Wang Xingxing stated that robots are not yet as efficient as humans and take time to learn new skills, creating a bottleneck for the industry. Shares of Unitree fell 18.7% on Thursday after a 460% IPO-day surge. Wang estimated a "ChatGPT moment" for embodied intelligence could arrive in two to three years, or five to ten years if things move slowly.

This milestone would be when a robot can perform about 80% of tasks in an unfamiliar environment through voice commands. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) added foreign-made advanced robotic devices, including humanoids, to a list restricting imports to the U.S. last month. Jeff Burnstein, president of the Association for Advancing Automation, said the impact of this limitation is not great now because few humanoids are used in the U.S. Burnstein noted that companies deploying robots seek solutions, not necessarily humanoids, and humanoids need to be affordable, safe, and ready to use.

Keenon, a startup, develops humanoids for hotel laundry services, working with simpler delivery robots. Unitree, founded in 2016, is known for its four-legged robot dogs and has expanded into humanoid robots. Unitree raised about $900 million in its oversubscribed Shanghai public debut, with shares surging 460% on the first day, valuing it at roughly $50 billion.

Unitree is the first humanoid robot maker listed in mainland China. On Monday, Unitree unveiled a new humanoid robot called "Superman," which can jump two meters high and run at 12.66 meters per second. China's 2026 World Robot Conference opened on Wednesday in Beijing, showcasing over 300 new products. China's H1 humanoid robot shipments topped 40,000 units.

Beijing views humanoid robots as a new high ground of technological competition and a fresh frontier for future industries, according to a 2023 policy document. China is targeting Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia for humanoid robot sales due to US restrictions.