Chinese robotics firm UBTECH and FAW-Volkswagen have agreed to develop and test humanoid robots for logistics applications at vehicle manufacturing facilities.
The partnership will focus on developing demonstration scenarios and testing robotic solutions for factory logistics and smart manufacturing.
UBTECH has previously worked with FAW-Volkswagen on vehicle quality-inspection trials using its Walker S Lite humanoid robot at the automaker’s Qingdao factory.
The companies said the expanded cooperation aims to support more flexible manufacturing as automakers respond to growing demand for personalized vehicles.
UBTECH and FAW-Volkswagen have expanded their collaboration on humanoid robots, moving from vehicle inspection trials toward logistics and broader smart-manufacturing applications.
Under a strategic cooperation agreement announced October 8, the companies will jointly develop and test embodied AI robot applications for factory logistics and build demonstration sites to evaluate their use in real production environments.
The partnership builds on FAW-Volkswagen’s earlier deployment of UBTECH’s Walker S Lite humanoid robot at its Qingdao factory. The robot has been used for vehicle quality-inspection training and connected to the plant’s automation control system. The latest agreement extends the collaboration beyond inspection, making logistics a formal area of development.
The two companies began working together in July 2024, when FAW-Volkswagen opened production-line scenarios at its Qingdao facility for UBTECH’s industrial Walker S humanoid. The robot was tested on tasks including bolt tightening, component installation, and parts handling. The companies also identified industrial logistics and supply-chain applications as potential areas for future cooperation.
The new logistics focus targets one of the more repetitive parts of vehicle manufacturing: moving components and materials around production facilities.
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