On June 30, Ubtech held its 2026 global launch in Shenzhen, unveiling its “human-robot symbiosis” strategy for the next decade and the full-size ultra-bionic humanoid series “YouWorld U1” — a half-body U1 Lite, a high-spec full-body U1 Pro, and a high-dynamics full-body U1 Ultra. Pricing: U1 Lite at 119,800 yuan; U1 Pro at 169,800 yuan; U1 Ultra at 990,000 yuan (male version) and 880,000 yuan (female version).
At the event, Ubtech said cumulative U1 orders across all online and offline channels had passed 13,361 units, with delivery targeted for this year. It claims the U1 is the world’s only full-size ultra-bionic humanoid with scaled mass-production capability — a marker, the company argues, that humanoids are moving from industrial to consumer scenes and opening an era of human-robot symbiosis.
Founder, chairman and CEO James Zhou laid out a three-step path for symbiosis: first replace dangerous, repetitive labour; then permeate daily life with companion services; finally reach deep human-machine fusion without boundaries. He sketched a future where human income has three parts — a basic safety net, creative earnings, and a “robot dividend” — so everyone shares in the technology’s spoils.
Ubtech positions itself not merely as a humanoid hardware vendor but as a platform for future productivity, built on three pillars: an AI terminal (the humanoid as a unified interaction hub, gradually replacing the phone), a “new-quality productivity” platform (open hardware and software for vertical solutions), and a human-robot city information base (humans command, robots execute public services).
Tan Min, chief brand officer and head of Ubtech’s consumer robotics unit, said YouWorld targets a companion robot that looks good, responds thoughtfully, and is always available — support that iterates with the user’s life stage. The U1 carries the world’s first emotion large model built for long-term companionship, recognising over 20 fine-grained emotions at more than 90 percent accuracy. Its bionic “fast-slow brain” architecture — borrowing from cognitive neuroscience — coordinates a 500 ms instinctive response with a hundred-billion-parameter deep-reasoning engine. A self-developed controller keeps voice-to-lip-sync latency under 20 ms, ending the “robot feel.”
YouWorld also launched a “human-robot companionship for the alone” program: in 2026 it will donate 100 custom bionic robots — using 3D face modelling and voiceprint recovery to physically recreate a chosen likeness — to offer long-term psychological comfort to empty-nest elders, bereaved families, and relatives of fallen heroes.
The launch landed against supportive policy. On June 18, eight Chinese ministries including the Ministry of Commerce issued measures to accelerate “AI + consumption,” pushing companion and elderly-care robots for priority groups; MIIT and SASAC launched a 2026 real-scene embodied-AI training program. With the U1, Ubtech’s “industry first, then commercial, then consumer” strategy is fully in place — Walker S already in mass production on the industrial side in 2025, YouWorld opening a second growth curve on the consumer side.
Source: Leiphone (leiphone.com). Translated and adapted for The Robot Belt.