Can a humanoid robot really provide emotional support? What if your next best friend was a robot? Sounds unbelievable, right? But that’s actually possible! 

Chinese robotics company UBTECH has officially launched the UWORLD U1 Series. It’s a new series of full-size ultra-bionic humanoid robots that is designed for mass production. The launch was announced during the company’s 2026 Global Launch Event in Shenzhen. UBTECH also revealed that the total number of orders has exceeded 13,361 units. Well, that’s a big number, and it actually shows how much these robots are in demand already. 

There are 3 models included in the UWORLD U1 Series:

• The U1 Lite semi-torso edition
• The U1 Pro full-body version
• The flagship U1 Ultra

The launch of UWORLD is indeed UBTECH’s biggest step into the consumer humanoid robot market as of yet. And that’s because earlier, the company’s focus was mainly on industrial robots. 

During the launch event, UBTECH Founder, Chairman, and CEO James Zhou shared the company’s long-term vision. He said humanoid robots will first take over dangerous and repetitive work, then become companions and service assistants in daily life, before eventually interacting with people in a more natural and intelligent way. While addressing the attendees, he also said that UBTECH is now transforming from a robot maker into an AI robotics platform company. 

As per Zhou, UBTECH has a 20-year plan for growth. In the first stage, from 2012 to 2022, the company focused on building core technologies and expanding industrial robotics. And now, from 2023 to 2033, it is focusing on making humanoid robots a part of people’s homes and day-to-day lives. UBTECH believes that the year 2026 is a major milestone in that transition.

UWORLD U1 Specs and AI Features

UBTECH says the UWORLD U1 Series is built using its fully self-developed technology stack, which includes embodied AI hardware, operating systems, biomimetic skin, manufacturing technologies, and an emotion-driven large language model designed specifically for long-term human companionship.

The robots feature 88 degrees of freedom and a biomimetic dual-pivot spine that enables them to replicate up to 90% of basic human movements. The company also introduced what it describes as the world’s first emotion-aware large language model for companion humanoid robots, capable of recognizing more than 20 emotional states with an accuracy of over 90%.

The U1 Series combines a fast-response AI system with deeper reasoning capabilities to create more natural conversations. Its facial expression system reduces speech-to-lip synchronization delay to less than 20 milliseconds, while the built-in Agent Memory OS allows the robots to remember previous conversations and develop long-term interactions with users. A proactive care engine also enables the robots to respond to environmental cues without requiring wake words.

Another super important factor that UBTECH is not compromising on is privacy. The company said that privacy is an important aspect of this project. They’ve implemented a three-layer privacy architecture that prioritizes local data processing and reduces dependency on the cloud. Not only this, but it also gives users much more control over their personal information.

The U1 Series is not limited to a specific type of user. In fact, it is designed for both consumer as well as commercial use. A user can use it for a variety of purposes, such as:

• Daily companionship
• Emotional support
• Elder care
• Hospitality
• Lifestyle assistance
• And much more

UBTECH Launches Human-Robot Companionship Initiative

During the event, UBTECH not only launched its product. In fact, the company also introduced its Human-Robot Companionship Initiative. Wondering what that is? Well, it is a program focused on supporting mental well-being through humanoid robots.

According to Michael Tam, UBTECH’s Chief Brand Officer, companion robots could become an important new consumer category by providing personalized emotional support throughout different stages of life. He also said China’s ultra-bionic humanoid robot market could grow from tens of billions of RMB today to the trillion-RMB level between 2026 and 2036.

The company cited China’s growing number of people living alone, including more than 90 million adults and 118 million empty-nest seniors, as one reason for launching the initiative.

As part of the program, UBTECH plans to donate 100 customized UWORLD U1 robots in 2026 to children growing up apart from their parents, older adults living alone, and families facing difficult circumstances. These robots will use 3D facial reconstruction, voiceprint replication, long-term memory systems, and emotion-driven AI to recreate familiar voices and faces while providing structured emotional companionship and psychological support.

With the launch of UWORLD, UBTECH has expanded its robotics portfolio across industrial, commercial, and consumer markets. While its Walker S Series humanoid robots are already being delivered for industrial applications, the company expects the UWORLD U1 Series to become its next major growth engine as humanoid robots move beyond factories and into everyday life.