Overview
- CCTV’s Spring Festival Gala featured humanoids from Unitree and other firms performing martial arts, dancing and comedy routines that drew massive attention at home and abroad.
- Financial outlets report each of four participating companies spent roughly 100 million yuan for the showcase, with experts warning the spectacle obscures cash‑flow strains, limited validation and fragile customer trust.
- Global humanoid shipments remain modest at about 13,000–18,000 units in 2025, with Omdia estimating 14,500 and saying Chinese leaders Agibot and Unitree accounted for roughly three‑quarters, while Morgan Stanley projects 28,000 units in 2026.
- Industry assessments say China’s dense hardware supply chain is propelling rapid progress as the government remains the largest buyer, with local programs providing subsidies, testing centers and other support.
- Robotics experts say the gala routines were likely preprogrammed or replicated via motion capture or remote control, and they highlight recent safety incidents and the International Federation of Robotics’ warning that human‑sized bots are typically kept behind barriers elsewhere.