The most read Vietnamese newspaper
Edition: International | Vietnamese
© Copyright 1997 VnExpress.net. All rights reserved.
Get VnExpress first in Google Search
See more of the news you trust. Make VnExpress a preferred source to prioritise our updates in your Google search results
In a YouTube video published last weekend to mark UBTech’s appointment as the official exclusive humanoid robot partner of Chain Expo 2026, Walker C1 was seen performing movements from "Swan Lake" with highly synchronized and lifelike precision.
The robot combines balance, coordinated movement and precise motion control, allowing it to dance alongside humans with natural-looking movements.
"This is more than a dance. It’s a glimpse into the future of intelligent service robotics — where full-scale humanoids work, interact, and move alongside us in perfect harmony. The future of service robotics has never looked so elegant," UBTech said.
The Shenzhen-based company has not released detailed specifications for Walker C1. However, Interesting Engineering reported that the robot is likely based on UBTech’s earlier Walker C model, an electric-powered humanoid robot designed for commercial environments.
Introduced last year, Walker C1 uses the company’s U-SLAM positioning system for autonomous route planning and can walk at speeds of up to 6 kilometers per hour. It also supports multilingual interaction for use in exhibition halls, office buildings, shopping malls, transport hubs and other public spaces.
UBTech humanoid robot Walker C1 peforms ballet and waltz with dancers. Video courtesy of UBTech
The robot can serve as a guide, receptionist and smart assistant, providing question-and-answer support, voice broadcasting and interactive services. It is designed for public environments such as hotels, airports and exhibition centers.
UBTech is one of China’s leading humanoid robot makers. The company shipped its first 1,000 humanoid robots last year and aims to increase that figure to 10,000 this year.
In January, UBTech announced an agreement to supply Walker S2 robots to aircraft manufacturer Airbus for use in manufacturing facilities, following a similar partnership with semiconductor company Texas Instruments. The deals reflect the company’s push to expand the use of humanoid robots in industries including aviation, semiconductors, vehicles and consumer electronics, the South China Morning Post reported.
China has become a major hub for humanoid robotics. Earlier this year, China’s Vice Minister of Industry and Information Technology Zhang Yunming said the country had more than 140 humanoid robot manufacturers by the end of 2025, with over 330 products launched on the market, according to Chinese newspaper Global Times.
