China’s Humanoid Robot Race Ignites With a Landmark $17M Order

A massive humanoid robot order from a state-owned giant just sent shockwaves through the tech world, signaling a major leap from R&D to real-world commercialization.

Two of China’s leading robotics firms, Zhiyuan Robot (Zhiyuan Jixiren 智元机器人) and Unitree Robotics (Yushu Keji 宇树科技), have officially landed the largest single humanoid robot contract in the country’s history.

The buyer? None other than China Mobile (Zhongguo Yidong 中国移动).

Disclosures from China Mobile’s procurement site confirm the deal is for a “Humanoid Bipedal Robot OEM Service Procurement Project,” a clear sign that major enterprises are getting serious about deploying these machines.

The Breakdown: Who Got What in This $17M+ Deal?

The total project budget rings in at a whopping ¥124.05 million RMB ($17.10 million USD).

Here’s how it’s split:

• Package 1: Full-sized Humanoid Bipedal Robots
  • Budget: ¥78 million RMB ($10.75 million USD)
  • Winner: Zhiyuan Robot

• Package 2: Small-sized Humanoid Bipedal Robots, Computing Backpacks, and Five-fingered Dexterous Hands
  • Budget: ¥46.05 million RMB ($6.35 million USD)
  • Winner: Unitree Robotics

This isn’t just another purchase order. It’s a landmark moment, representing the biggest payday for a humanoid robot company on a single deal in China to date.

China Mobile Humanoid Robot Procurement Breakdown

Package	Description	Winner	Budget (USD)
1	Full-sized Humanoid Bipedal Robots	Zhiyuan Robot	$10.75 million
2	Small-sized Humanoid Bipedal Robots, Computing Backpacks, and Five-fingered Dexterous Hands	Unitree Robotics	$6.35 million

Meet the Winners: Zhiyuan and Unitree Are Dominating the Field

While both companies are leaders, they’ve taken different paths to the top.

Zhiyuan Robot: The Strategic Player

Zhiyuan Robot is on a roll.

Since December 2024, they’ve snagged eight successful bids, according to data from Qichacha (Qichacha 企查查).

This includes a recent ¥12.7362 million RMB ($1.76 million USD) win for a data collection and exhibition project.

Their product lineup is built for business:

• Far-Travel (Yuanzheng 远征)
• Elf (Jingling 精灵)
• Lingxi (Lingxi 灵犀)

They’re targeting commercial uses like interactive services, intelligent manufacturing, and logistics, with a bold projection of shipping several thousand units in 2025.

• Total Successful Bids (Since Dec 2024): 8
• Recent Major Win: ¥12.7362M RMB ($1.76M USD) for data collection/exhibition
• Primary Product Lines: Far-Travel, Elf, Lingxi
• Targeting Commercial Uses: Interactive services, intelligent manufacturing, logistics
• 2025 Projection: Shipping several thousand units

Unitree Robotics: From Viral Robot Dogs to Bipedal Brawlers

You’ve probably seen Unitree’s work, even if you don’t know it.

They’re the company behind the robot dogs that went viral.

In fact, they sold 23,700 robot dogs in 2024, capturing an insane 69.75% of the global market share, according to Gaogong Robot Industry Research Institute data.

They’ve aggressively moved into the humanoid space, first with their H1 robot in 2023 and more recently with the smaller G1 model, which blew up online in viral boxing and dancing videos.

They’re not stopping there. Unitree is already teasing a new humanoid robot with 26 degrees of freedom, hinting at a price point in the “thousands of dollars” ($?000) on a recent poster.

With 168 successful bids under their belt, they’ve proven their knack for commercialization, especially in education and factory inspection.

Beyond the Hype: Where Are Humanoid Robots Actually Making Money?

Let’s be real: are these robots ready to take over factories?

Industry insiders say not quite yet.

While the long-term goal is full industrial automation, the immediate value is in more creative applications.

Right now, humanoid robots are crushing it in areas like:

• Generating traffic in malls and at events
• Live performances and entertainment
• Scientific research and education platforms

• Generating traffic in malls and at events
• Live performances and entertainment
• Scientific research and education platforms

The Long Game: From Factory Floors to Your Living Room

So what’s the ultimate vision? We got some fascinating insights directly from the leaders at both companies.

Unitree’s Vision: Entertainment Today, Housekeeping Tomorrow

Wang Xingxing (Wang Xingxing 王兴xing), CEO of Unitree Robotics, has a clear roadmap.

“The ultimate goal is to enable humanoid robots to perform factory tasks, and eventually, household chores such as serving drinks or doing laundry and cooking,” he stated.

But he’s also pragmatic, admitting that in-home robots are still a ways off.

Until then, the strategy is to showcase their robots’ insane athletic skills through dancing and even fighting competitions.

This isn’t just for show. Wang Xingxing emphasized that the rental market for their robots is booming, proving their immediate commercial value.

He believes a truly smart home robot of the future will be able to do it all—bust a move, participate in a fight, and then go wash your clothes.

Zhiyuan’s Approach: Tackling Niche Commercial and Care Needs

Zhiyuan is also exploring practical, near-term applications with their small-sized Lingxi X2 robot.

Wei Qiang (Wei Qiang 魏强), President of Zhiyuan Robot’s Lingxi Business Unit, said the primary uses right now are entertainment performances, exhibition hall explanations, and R&D.

But they’re also looking at a massive, untapped market: elderly care.

“Elderly care will not initially involve direct entry into homes,” Wei Qiang explained. “Instead, it will be in elderly communities, providing companion services to seniors, such as fetching water, dispensing medication, or reminding users to take their pills.”

This China Mobile deal is more than just a big check; it’s a powerful endorsement that the commercial era of robotics is here. For investors, founders, and tech enthusiasts, this record-breaking humanoid robot order is a clear signal that the race to build our robotic future is accelerating a lot faster than anyone thought.

References

• Shanghai Securities News – Official Website
• Qichacha – Official Website
• Unitree Robotics – Official Website