Guangdong official information shows that so far this year, more than 2,000 humanoid robots have entered major manufacturing enterprises in the province and been steadily deployed in real-world scenarios, and the number of humanoid robots entering factories for the full year is expected to exceed 3,000.

At a press conference held by the Guangdong provincial government in Guangzhou on the 29th, Zou Yongbing, chief economist of the Guangdong Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, said Guangdong is promoting embodied intelligence technology to move out of laboratories and onto production lines, starting with typical scenarios such as sorting, logistics, quality inspection, and patrols, to accelerate the empowerment of key links and core processes in manufacturing.

Zou Yongbing said Guangdong supports the first purchase and first use of embodied intelligence products and encourages subways, parks, medical institutions, and elderly care institutions to introduce robots through flexible methods such as leasing and service outsourcing to reduce trial-and-error costs.

The Guangdong Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology is working with the Guangdong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism and relevant departments in Guangzhou to jointly open up application scenarios for embodied intelligence robots in real settings such as the Guangdong Museum, the Sun Yat-sen Library of Guangdong Province, and Yuexiu Park, covering subdivided needs including book inventory and delivery, exhibition hall explanation and inspection, and venue cleaning and catering, and will introduce corresponding support policies.

Currently, Guangdong accounts for more than 40% of China's industrial robot output and more than 80% of the country's service robot output, and its humanoid robot output is expected to account for about one-third of China's total in 2026. At the same time, the province has cultivated the "Ten Steeds" humanoid robot enterprises and built the "Nanyue Embodied Craftsmen" brand for the entire embodied intelligence industry chain.

The Guangdong provincial government has decided to hold the International Humanoid Robot Basketball Challenge (RBA) in Guangzhou in early to mid-April 2027. The event includes two categories. The competitive competition features five events: fixed-point free throws, moving three-point shots, human-robot cooperative passing and catching, stationary dribbling endurance, and dribbling obstacle-course layups; the exhibition competition allows participants to choreograph their own fancy basketball moves and formation changes.

Yang Jun, deputy director of the Guangdong Provincial Department of Science and Technology, said Guangdong is organizing the event to promote breakthroughs in core technologies such as high-dynamic motion control, environmental perception, autonomous decision-making, and team collaboration, and, on the other hand, to expand application scenarios and accelerate the industrialization of AI-related technological achievements.