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Minxiao Chang

When 39-year-old Beijing investor Song shelled out 159,800 yuan (US$23,680) for a companion robot, he knew it would not be cooking meals or scrubbing floors. For him, becoming one of China’s first owners of a consumer humanoid was more about embracing the cutting edge.
“The happiest part is often the waiting,” Song said of his decision to buy the female version of the U1 Pro, made by Shenzhen-based UBTech Robotics.
For years, humanoid robots have been confined to factory floors and structured assembly lines. Now, Chinese robotics firms are testing whether machines can find a home in living rooms.
Unlike industrial robots built for repetitive tasks in controlled settings, household humanoids must navigate unpredictable spaces, interact naturally with people, and eventually deliver real companion value – or even domestic help.
UBTech is among the first Chinese makers attempting the leap. The company said its U1 series had racked up 13,361 orders by June 30 – less than a month after opening pre-sales in early June – with initial deliveries scheduled to begin on September 16.
The line-up spans three models – Lite, Pro and Ultra – ranging from partial-body units to full-sized humanoids, with prices running from 119,800 yuan to 990,000 yuan. Designed primarily for emotional companionship, the robots were capable of facial expressions, voice interaction and artificial intelligence-driven conversations, according to the company.
If a machine could take care of household chores, the potential market would be enormous
Zebin Wang, investment manager, JG Investment
For some early buyers, the draw is less about everyday utility than securing a front-row seat to technological advancement.
Yang, a 30-year-old tech enthusiast from China’s southwestern province of Yunnan who also bought a female U1 Pro, admitted his expectations were modest. “I usually buy automated devices and emerging tech products,” he said. “I don’t have very high expectations, but since I bought it, I don’t plan to return it.”
Others were less convinced. An, a 28-year-old buyer from the eastern province of Zhejiang who put down a 3,000 yuan deposit for a male U1 Pro, said she was disappointed after watching UBTech’s launch event in June, which offered only a limited display of the robot’s physical capabilities.
Ma, from the eastern province of Jiangsu, requested a full deposit refund after watching the launch event online. Initially drawn to the idea of an emotional companion, she said the current tech fell short of her expectations.
These mixed responses highlight the sector’s challenge: consumers are being asked to buy into a grand vision before humanoids can handle the everyday chores long associated with household assistants.


UBTech founder and CEO Zhou Jian acknowledged these limitations, saying emotional interaction was a realistic entry point while physical capabilities catch up.
“With AI capabilities developing … robots can first achieve companionship through large language models and emotional AI models,” Zhou said in an interview during the launch event. “Household tasks such as cleaning, washing clothes and cooking can eventually be integrated with emotional interaction.”
Despite the hurdles, market watchers see long-term upside driven by shifting demographic trends.
Ageing populations, falling birth rates and the rise of single-person households were fuelling a burgeoning “companionship economy”, with the market for companion humanoids projected to hit US$1.1 billion by 2030, according to research firm TrendForce.
Investors argue that domestic robots could eventually dwarf the industrial market by overcoming traditional barriers to home help, such as privacy concerns and personal friction.
“If a machine could take care of household chores, the potential market would be enormous,” said Zebin Wang, an investment manager at JG Investment, likening the trend to the early adoption of robotic vacuum cleaners.


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A woman, right, interacts with a humanoid robot at the launch event of UBTech’s U1 series. Photo: AFP

A man, centre, takes part in a demonstration with humanoid robots at the launch event of UBTech’s U1 series. Photo: AFP

The U1 line-up has three models: Lite, Pro and Ultra. Photo: AFP

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Companion robots start arriving in September, offering emotional interaction and novelty, but chores remain off the table – at least for now


Companion robots start arriving in September, offering emotional interaction and novelty, but chores remain off the table – at least for now.


First impressions count as Chinese buyers open their homes to UBTech’s consumer humanoids

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Companion robots start arriving in September, offering emotional interaction and novelty, but chores remain off the table – at least for now

Companion robots start arriving in September, offering emotional interaction and novelty, but chores remain off the table – at least for now