Robot dance revolution: China’s humanoids wow audiences at Lunar New Year gala

According to a latest article, CNN features that in January, more than a dozen human-like robots made a stunning debut on China’s largest stage, performing vibrant folk dances with bright red handkerchiefs during the annual Lunar New Year gala. 

The mesmerizing display, viewed by over a billion people, marked a significant moment for China’s humanoid robotics industry, showcasing the country's progress in this cutting-edge technology.

In the two months that followed, videos of these robots performing increasingly complex feats, including bike riding, roundhouse kicks, and flips, went viral. State media have highlighted these achievements as a potential driver of significant economic growth for China.

Although mass production of humanoid robots is still limited, competition in the sector is heating up, particularly with Tesla, led by Elon Musk, a recognized leader in humanoid robotics. The prospect of a future where robots handle everything from household chores to caregiving has prompted major tech companies from both the U.S. and China to heavily invest in this emerging field.

Notable American tech giants such as Microsoft, Nvidia, and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos have made significant investments in Figure AI, a leading humanoid robotics company. Meanwhile, Meta, according to a Bloomberg report from last month, is also preparing to invest heavily in humanoid technology.

Elon Musk, whose Optimus humanoid robot has attracted global attention since its 2022 debut, has predicted that the Optimus project could generate over $10 trillion in revenue in the future.

Experts suggest that while humanoid robots may take another five to ten years to make a substantial societal impact, they could eventually become as common as consumer electronics, according to Xi Ning, a chair professor of robotics and automation at the University of Hong Kong. “Everybody will need them, like automobiles, like cellphones, and the potential market volume will be huge,” Xi told CNN.

Goldman Sachs predicted last year that the global humanoid robot market will be worth $38 billion by 2035. They expect that within the next five years, 250,000 humanoid units, mainly for industrial use, will be shipped, and by the next decade, one million humanoid robots will be sold annually to consumers.

Beijing, seeking to replicate the success China has achieved in the electric vehicle (EV) market, is eager to become a leader in humanoid robotics. The Chinese government has focused on positioning the country as a global tech powerhouse, drawing attention to recent achievements in the sector, such as the AI reasoning model from DeepSeek, which stunned the world in January. This drive comes at a time when the U.S. has ramped up tech restrictions on China.

Despite entering the humanoid race later than American competitors like Tesla, Boston Dynamics, and Figure AI, experts believe Chinese firms are quickly closing the gap. Their ability to optimize supply chains and reduce costs has allowed them to accelerate the mass production of humanoid robots, further intensifying the global competition.

By Naila Huseynova