The standardization of human-shaped robots was introduced after a meeting of the Technical Committee for Standardization of Human-shaped Robots and Expressive Intelligence in Beijing. This legal framework was born at an extremely important time.
According to data released by the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology in January 2026, the country has more than 140 human-shaped robot manufacturers and more than 330 product models. Leaders of human-shaped robot manufacturing companies see 2026 as a year of transition to mass production in this field.
Public interest is also increasing rapidly. Mr. Zheng Xiaodan, head of the body-shaped smart robot department at JD, said that e-commerce giant JD has reported a surge in sales related to robots after the impressive performances of body-shaped robots during the recent Lunar New Year, showing an increase in consumer awareness of them. However, scale expansion is still complicated.
In recent roundtable discussions, company executives pointed out that consistency in production is a key challenge.
Chen Jianyu, founder of Robotera, said: "Human-shaped robots require a long supply chain, spanning from supply networks and components to complete systems, operating systems and algorithms.
Gao Jiyang, founder of Galaxea, added that even small mechanical differences between units can be amplified when integrated with large platform models, requiring systematic adjustment to align sensors, structures and software within a unified framework.
The level of hardware completion is still uneven. Participants noted that important components such as high torque joints and skillful hands have not yet achieved stable economic scale, causing costs to remain high and limiting predictable scalability.
In addition to hardware, continuous data is also a part that units are interested in.
We are still lacking high-quality data and related standards," said Wang Zhongyuan, Director of the Beijing Artificial Intelligence Institute, adding that inconsistent data formats and labeling methods between companies have created isolated systems, forcing developers to work overlapping.
The new legal framework is issued to address these challenges, structured in six areas - foundational standards, brain-inspired computing and intelligent processing, body structure and composition, complete systems, applications, along with safety and ethics. It reflects the coordinated contributions from government agencies, research institutes, businesses and universities.
For robots to truly operate in real-world situations, common standards for the entire industry are indispensable," said Wang Xingxing, founder of Unitree Robotics and Vice Chairman of the committee. He identified unified mission definitions, evaluation systems and safety standards as immediate priorities.
Globally, there is still no unified standard for human-shaped robots. Xu Jincheng, founder and CEO of tactile sensor company PaXini Tech, said that China's achievements in the field of intelligence have attracted global attention, and continuous technological progress may help this country play an important role in shaping international standards in the future.
