According to Hong LIU, Associate Researcher at Fudan Development Institute, the appearance of humanoid robots at the 2026 Spring Festival Gala is not merely a artistic performance, but a strategic public event that brings **embodied intelligence** to public attention, serving as an iconic signal of China’s strategy in the humanoid robot industry. Technically, robots have achieved a breakthrough from being movable to being stable, with improved collaborative capabilities of closed-loop control and other systems, and a leap forward in engineering maturity. However, given that the stage is a controlled environment, there remains an engineering gap in their generalization ability for open scenarios.

Industrially, the participation of multiple enterprises demonstrates a tiered industrial ecosystem. The autonomy of core components is approaching the threshold for mass production, while cost reductions are reshaping price benchmarks. The supply chain has formed a collective combat capability, driving robots from laboratory prototypes to engineering products. The showcase also constitutes a symbolic construction of technological strength, integrating traditional martial arts with technology to materialize the new quality productive forces. Meanwhile, it has aroused public anxiety about human‑robot relations, serving as a social experiment that previews the cultural impact of an automated society.

Overall, China has obtained the ticket to the era of universal robot applications and entered the global first echelon, with conditions for industrial scaling gradually in place. Yet the era of universal adoption requires on-the-ground verification. Key factors include the formation of commercial closed loops in real scenarios, stable operation, and continuous cost reduction. The race for industrial scaling has only just begun.

Translated by Yiqian YANG

Full text in Chinese available at:

https://fddi.fudan.edu.cn/be/89/c18965a769673/page.htm