China has officially signed a 264 million yuan (US$37 million) agreement to deploy next-generation humanoid robots from UBTech Robotics across key border crossings in Guangxi, near Vietnam. These aren’t ordinary machines—they’re Walker S2 humanoids, the first robots capable of autonomously swapping their own batteries without human assistance. This allows them to operate almost nonstop, making them ideal for high-demand environments.
Beginning this December, the robots will support border operations by guiding travellers, managing queues, assisting patrol teams, and helping streamline logistics. Beyond the border, they will also be tested in steel, copper, and aluminium plants to perform industrial inspections traditionally done by human workers.
This rollout marks one of China’s largest real-world humanoid deployments ever, showcasing how quickly the country is pushing AI-powered machines from labs into daily public infrastructure.
Author: Saikat Bhattacharya
