Humanoid robots are moving rapidly from laboratories to real-world applications, as China's robotics industry steps into what experts call its first year of large-scale adoption.

At the ongoing 27th China Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Competition held in Hefei City of east China's Anhui Province, organizers highlighted how humanoid robots are being designed for different roles in daily life. Models dressed as food delivery riders, farmers, sanitation workers, and chefs illustrated the wide range of potential uses, from logistics to agriculture and public services.

China's humanoid robotics industry is currently advancing along two main technological routes: learning-based and model-based systems. Learning-based robots tend to have more humanlike, flexible movements, while model-based robots excel at precision, standardization, and task execution.

As the market continues to expand, developers are integrating the two approaches to achieve both realism and reliability.

Organizers also noted a clear industry shift: beyond balance and mobility, developers are now focusing on giving humanoid robots "brains" powered by large AI models, enabling higher-level decision-making and adaptability.

"Starting the beginning of this year, humanoid robots have been gradually empowered with more 'brains' to enable them to have their own wisdom, and to allow them to become increasingly humanlike. Based on market trends, we expect China's humanoid robot sales to exceed 10,000 units in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 125 percent," said Liu Yufei, technical director of the National and Local Co-Built Humanoid Robotics Innovation Center.