Story perspectives

UBTech Unveils U1 Humanoid Robots, 13,300 Pre-Orders

7/2/2026

Summary

Story summary

UBTech Robotics unveiled the U1 series of full-size humanoid companion robots in Shenzhen on June 30, 2026.
The three models—U1 Lite, U1 Pro, U1 Ultra—cost 119,800 yuan to 990,000 yuan, have 88 servo joints, a dual-pivot cervical spine, 90 percent human-like motion, 20 ms facial-lip sync, and an emotion LLM that detects over 20 feelings with >90 percent accuracy.
UBTech logged more than 13,300 pre-orders and will start deliveries in September 2026, with data processed locally, encrypted, and user-controllable.

History

Historical Context

Honda launched its humanoid program in 1986, producing two-leg prototypes such as the 1996 P2 model that weighed 463 lb and culminating in the 2000 debut of ASIMO, a 54-kg robot capable of walking, running and basic interaction. Boston Dynamics introduced Atlas in 2013, and UBTech released the Shenzhen-made U1 series in 2026, continuing the push toward household-ready, emotionally aware humanoids.

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Story summary

UBTech Robotics unveiled the U1 series of full-size humanoid companion robots in Shenzhen on June 30, 2026.
The three models—U1 Lite, U1 Pro, U1 Ultra—cost 119,800 yuan to 990,000 yuan, have 88 servo joints, a dual-pivot cervical spine, 90 percent human-like motion, 20 ms facial-lip sync, and an emotion LLM that detects over 20 feelings with >90 percent accuracy.
UBTech logged more than 13,300 pre-orders and will start deliveries in September 2026, with data processed locally, encrypted, and user-controllable.

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