UBTech launches UWORLD U1, the first mass‑produced full‑size humanoid companion

Chinese robotics firm UBTech unveiled the UWORLD U1 humanoid companion at a global event in Shenzhen on June 30. The robot is marketed as the world’s first full‑size humanoid designed for mass production, with 88 degrees of freedom and a reaction time of about 500 ms, plus less than 20 ms lip‑sync delay.

The UWORLD U1 uses an AI system that can identify more than 20 emotional states with around 90 % accuracy, remember past interactions, and adapt its responses accordingly. It can walk, gesture, dance and engage in natural conversation, aiming to serve elderly, single or otherwise isolated individuals as a psychological and social support.

Within four weeks of launch the model attracted over 13 000 pre‑orders, generating roughly $334 million in sales, with a price of about $15‑18 k per unit. UBTech also announced a Human‑Robot Companionship Initiative to donate 100 personalized units by 2026 to vulnerable people. Data privacy is emphasized through a three‑layer security architecture that processes user data locally rather than in the cloud.