Unitree’s humanoid robots headlined the 2026 Spring Festival Gala in Beijing, and did more than just perform — they commanded the stage with precise kung-fu, leaping and spinning midair, twirling nunchucks, and showing skill with the jian, a long slender sword.
They performed alongside young kids, who seemed dazzled by their aluminum-alloy counterparts. The effect was less novelty act, more declaration of capability.
Compared to the clunky folk square dance performance of Unitree’s humanoid at last year’s gala, the latest version is a stunning double-somersault forward. Chinese engineers have turned stutter into grace in the span of 12 months.
While the latest performance was a carefully produced national showcase, experts say that it doesn’t necessarily correlate to a major technological leap.
Such demonstrations are designed to highlight strengths and minimize flaws. Real-world deployment — whether in factories, warehouses or on battlefields — is far more complex and expensive.
Across the globe, robotics firms are racing to push the boundaries of what’s possible. In the United States, companies such as Figure, backed by Silicon Valley investors and led by former Tesla engineers, have shown humanoid robots performing logistics tasks with an eye toward scalability. At Tesla, Chief Executive Elon Musk has portrayed the company’s Optimus robot as a future helper that could assist not only on manufacturing floors but eventually in homes.
That competitive pressure is not lost on European engineers and executives. Companies in Norway, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom have developed or are in the process of developing humanoids. Norway’s Neo is specialized for home and industrial use. Agile Robots based in Munich has a humanoid for industrial use that features advanced, force-sensitive hands.
Some European start-ups are exploring humanoid forms as well, aiming to bridge the gap between traditional industrial robots and machines that can operate safely among people.
Still, turning prototypes into reliable, scalable products remains a major hurdle. Autonomy, battery life, situational awareness and cost are persistent challenges everywhere. Defense analysts also see potential military applications, particularly in structured environments built for humans, but caution that remains speculative.
“There is likely room for robots in the shape of humans and animals in military and security organizations. Especially if they are to interact with structures built for humans,” said Hans Liwång, professor of systems science for defense and security at the Swedish Defence University. He added that being able to perform in a controlled demonstration does not guarantee resilience in unpredictable real-world conditions.
“Putting on a rehearsed, pre-planned, and controlled show does not tell us that much about the state of the technology. Such shows are designed to impress and therefore likely overstate the capability of the technology,” Liwång said.
According to the International Federation of Robotics’ World Robotics 2025 report, roughly 542,000 industrial robots were installed around the world in 2024 — more than double the number recorded a decade earlier. Installations have surpassed half a million units annually for the past four years, and the global operational fleet grew to nearly 4.7 million units in 2024.
Asia dominates that growth, accounting for about three-quarters of new deployments — far outpacing Europe and the Americas. China sits at the center of that surge, with roughly 295,000 industrial robots installed in 2024 — the highest national total ever recorded. Chinese manufacturers now command a majority share of their home market, a significant shift from a decade ago when foreign suppliers dominated. China’s installed base has crossed 2 million units, the largest of any country.
Europe, while still a major robotics market, moved in a different direction last year. Installations dipped overall, even as Germany retained its position as the continent’s largest market and firms such as KUKA and ABB continued to develop advanced systems. Countries including Italy, France and Spain saw softer demand, and installations in the United Kingdom declined sharply after a temporary tax incentive expired.
In the Americas, annual installations remained above 50,000 units but slipped compared with the previous year, with the U.S. market heavily reliant on imported robotic systems even as domestic firms focus on software and integration.
The figures suggest that the acrobatics in Beijing point to robust investment, but that does not mean Europe is out of the race.
“Europe needs to be informed about international development. We need to learn from others, not build from scratch,” Liwång said. “We need to learn from the efforts put into this development and from the technical progress.”
Global economic forecasts project moderate growth over the next two years, and the robotics industry is not immune to geopolitical tensions or supply disruptions. Industry projections anticipate continued expansion, with annual installations expected to climb again in 2025 and approach 700,000 units by 2028.
The Spring Festival Gala was designed to captivate a domestic and global audience. China is pairing performance with production, and in doing so signaling that its ambitions in robotics extend far beyond the stage, even as rivals in Europe, the U.S. and elsewhere push their own visions of a robotic future.
