China’s UBTech Walker S1 becomes first humanoid robot working in Audi factory

Walker S1 has been assigned to conduct quality inspections at the Audi-FAW New Energy Vehicle plant in Changchun, including checking for air-conditioning system leaks, tasks previously handled by humans and considered a respiratory risk, according to Interesting Engineering.

Weighing 76 kilograms and standing 172 cm tall, the robot features visual recognition speeds under 70 milliseconds and delivers millimeter-level accuracy.

It can carry loads of up to 15 kilograms without losing balance, according to UBTech.

Designed for industrial use, the robot is equipped with adaptive motion control, enabling it to function in complex environments and traverse uneven terrain.

UBTech also highlights its multimodal sensing, round-the-clock operation, and military-grade structural stability.

UBTech Robotics's Walker S1 working in Audi EV plant. Photo courtesy of UBTech Robotics

Audi-FAW and UBTech signed an agreement in August 2023 to integrate humanoid robots into Audi’s smart manufacturing initiatives.

In January 2025, UBTech announced plans to begin mass production of the Walker S series, aiming to deliver between 500 and 1,000 units by year-end.

In addition to Audi, major manufacturers including BYD, Zeekr, Geely, and Foxconn have adopted UBTech’s robots.

At BYD’s Shenzhen plant, the robot improved sorting efficiency by 120%.

At Lynk & Co’s Chengdu facility, it cut warehouse processing time by 40% and labor costs by 65% by working alongside autonomous forklifts.

UBTech recently claimed a breakthrough in multi-robot coordination through its BrainNet framework.

Its DeepSeek-R1 reasoning model allows the robots to process large datasets, manage tasks independently, and coordinate with one another in real time, enhancing efficiency across production lines.