UBTECH, FAW-Volkswagen to test humanoid robots in factory logistics
UBTECH and FAW-Volkswagen signed a strategic cooperation agreement on Oct. 8 to develop and test humanoid robots for factory logistics and smart manufacturing, with plans to build demonstration scenarios and evaluate the robots in manufacturing environments. The deal extends work that began in 2024 at FAW-Volkswagen's Qingdao plant, where UBTECH's Walker S platform took on tasks such as bolt tightening, component installation and parts handling, while Walker S Lite participated in vehicle quality-inspection training and connected to the plant's automation control system. The companies have not announced a robot order, named the logistics tasks to be tested or given a timetable for routine deployment, and they have not said which plant will host the new logistics demonstrations; FAW-Volkswagen's five production bases are in Changchun, Chengdu, Foshan, Qingdao and Tianjin.
If humanoids can work reliably in automotive logistics, it would test whether they can move beyond production-line demos into everyday factory operations.