Video: China's marching humanoid robot 'army' sparks new debate

Chinese robotics company UBTECH Robotics has drawn global attention with a viral video showing hundreds of its Walker S2 humanoid robots marching in synchronized formation inside a warehouse. The footage, reminiscent of sci-fi scenes, sparked skepticism from industry figures like US robotics leader Brett Adcock, who publicly questioned whether the video was computer-generated due to inconsistent reflections on the robots. UBTECH defended the video's authenticity, releasing additional raw footage filmed with a drone and ambient audio to counter doubts, and emphasized China’s large-scale manufacturing and coordinated supply chain capabilities as enabling factors. UBTECH claims to have completed the world’s first mass delivery of humanoid robots, with hundreds of Walker S2 units already shipped to industrial partners for use in sectors such as automotive assembly, smart manufacturing, logistics, and AI data centers. The company views this rollout as a milestone marking the transition of humanoid robots from prototypes to real-world deployment. Despite UBTECH’s assurances and plans to ramp up production to 5,000 units annually by 202