The 2026 World Robot Congress (WRC 2026) opened on August 19th at the Beijing Yizhuang Beiren Yichuang International Convention and Exhibition Center. This year's event features over 300 participating companies and more than 150 new product launches, marking increases of 36% and 21% respectively compared to the previous year. Diverging from past exhibitions that emphasized flashy stunt performances, this year's congress sees robotics companies focusing on real-world deployment, showcasing machines capable of performing practical work with stable operations, efficient adaptation, and precise task execution.

Robotics firms are now competing on mass production delivery capabilities and scenario adaptability. This iterative upgrade reflects the rapid development and quality enhancement within China's robotics industry. According to the latest data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, from January to May 2026, domestic robotics companies above designated size achieved revenues exceeding 90 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 26.9%.

Capable of Real Work

At the exhibition venue, a lightweight Tiangong Omni humanoid robot executed a series of movements—turning, raising its arm, and stopping at a precise point—with clean, fluid motions that attracted many onlookers. A representative from the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center Co., Ltd. (referred to as "Beijing Humanoid") noted that this robot weighs only 39 kilograms, featuring a compact build yet possessing robust load capacity, marking its global debut. Immediately following, the Tiangong 3.0 nearby elevated the atmosphere to a crescendo: over a dozen robots jumped in synchronization, their arm swings during group dance perfectly aligned to the millisecond. In a tug-of-war competition, robots engaged in intense battles against human contestants.

These impressive performances served merely as appetizers. This year, Beijing Humanoid brought robot solutions targeting high-risk and monotonous positions, and conducted extreme stress tests in scenarios such as commercial services, inspection, and logistics. In another exhibition area, a robot football match drew significant crowds. Robots from Beijing Accelerating Evolution Technology Co., Ltd.'s (referred to as "Accelerating Evolution") Booster K1 series competed as a team, dribbling, passing, and shooting on the field—a vibrant fusion of technology and sport. Ren Zixin, head of marketing at Accelerating Evolution, stated that the company brought a complete "hardware and software suite" covering the entire embodied intelligence development chain—from tools to technology to solutions—providing the industry with a comprehensive intelligent development foundation.

Xiamen Reconova Information Technology Co., Ltd. (referred to as "Reconova Technology") showcased an airport baggage transfer scenario equipped with embodied intelligence solutions. Founder Zhan Donghui explained that the solution reconstructs traditional manual transfer models through a multi-machine collaborative human-machine system. Additionally, several companies specializing in core technologies unveiled new products. Zhangdong Power (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd. (referred to as "Zhangdong Power") highlighted products across three areas: universal physical brains, tendon-driven bionic dexterous hands, and next-generation embodied data collection. The company represents a shift from single-point technological optimization to systematic breakthroughs in embodied intelligence. CEO Du Dalong stated that their self-developed tendon-driven bionic hand integrates 28 independently controllable actuators, enabling complex operations such as fine fingertip manipulation.

Beijing Yunji Technology Co., Ltd. has deployed its human-machine coexistence value model into real physical spaces, focusing on robots, AIoT (Artificial Intelligence Internet of Things) devices, and related solutions. These products have been implemented in hotels, factories, and communities, completing over 1.1 billion real-world service interactions. The congress's four exhibition halls each offer distinct themes, covering the entire robotics industry chain: the Zhichuang Hall gathers humanoid robot complete units and innovation centers, the Zhihe Hall serves as a global supply chain competition stage, the Zhizao Hall provides a platform for component manufacturers, and the Zhiqu Hall focuses on public experiences and interactive entertainment. Wei Guohong, a member of the China Robotics CR Education and Training Standards Committee, observed that previously, the congress starred demonstration robots performing backflips; this year, enterprises from energy and manufacturing sectors bring real operating conditions, competing on hard metrics such as stable operations, fault tolerance, and maintenance costs.

Real Deliveries

Mass production delivery data provides compelling evidence of the industry's transformation. At last year's exhibition, most robots were experimental samples with mass production just beginning. In 2026, large-scale implementation has accelerated comprehensively. Multiple leading company executives stated at the venue that their intelligent robot delivery volumes have surged significantly year-on-year, with orders for both consumer-grade and industrial-grade products full, and some new models entering concentrated delivery phases. The robotics sector shows robust growth momentum. Morgan Stanley data indicates that China's robotics market will maintain an average annual growth rate of 23%, with the market size projected to reach $108 billion by 2028.

Capital market dynamics are also shifting. Wei Guohong believes that investors now prioritize verifiable component yields, real-scenario orders, and cash flow conditions among robotics chain enterprises. Current listed company strategies exhibit two main characteristics: robot complete-unit manufacturers are upgrading toward embodied system integration, while vision and precision component listed companies are expanding vertically along the supply chain, filling gaps in areas like dexterous hands and large models through investment and acquisitions. Wang Xinyu, a partner at Jiaxing Ciyuan Venture Capital Partnership, notes that this year, funds are primarily flowing into upstream component segments such as reducers, drives, dexterous hands, and 3D vision, as well as enterprises that have achieved scenario deployment.

Breakthroughs Imminent

This congress features a dedicated "Procurement Day," and several company executives revealed that they have reached collaborations with industry chain partners. However, overall, large-scale commercial adoption of robotics remains in its early stages. Based on on-site research, the industry still faces challenges including high costs of real-robot data collection and insufficient generalization capabilities. Industry chain participants are exploring diverse solutions, running robots in real service and industrial scenarios to feed data back into development and build complete collaborative ecosystems. For instance, addressing the core pain point of "data deserts," Shanghai Mifeng Embodied Intelligence Technology Co., Ltd. (referred to as "Mifeng Technology") has developed the MEgo series of bodyless collection hardware and solutions. A company representative stated that these solutions do not require robot bodies and can be directly applied in real environments such as factories, elderly care facilities, and homes, filling the gap in underlying data infrastructure for embodied large model training.

Li Mengwei, director of the Robotics Research and Evaluation Center at the CCID Research Institute, commented that WRC 2026 reflects many new industry changes: the shift from single-point technology competition to system capability rivalry, from enterprises operating independently to collaborative ecosystem building, and from technology-model-driven approaches to real-demand-driven development. Future competition in the robotics industry will extend beyond individual robot performance to comprehensive strengths in supply chains, data foundations, industry solutions, and cost control.