The 2026 Spring Festival Gala, which commenced on the evening of February 16, featured a series of impressive robotic performances that captivated audiences nationwide and ignited discussions across social media platforms.

Within just two hours of the gala's broadcast (from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM on February 16), search volumes for robots on JD.com surged by over 300% compared to prior periods. Customer service inquiries related to robots increased by 460%, and order volumes grew by 150%. New orders were received from more than 100 cities across China, spanning from major metropolitan areas to smaller counties.

Unitree Robotics once again amazed viewers with its martial arts performance during the gala. Wang Xingxing, the company's founder, highlighted that the act represented the world's first public demonstration of high-dynamic, high-coordination swarm control technology.

This marked the third time Unitree has participated in the Spring Festival Gala, yet it still managed to astonish netizens. On February 16, Lunar New Year's Eve, as a robotic partner for the gala, Unitree collaborated with the Henan Tagou Martial Arts School to present an upgraded version of last year's performance, titled "Wu BOT."

Unitree's humanoid robots, models G1 and H2, performed alongside human actors, executing complex maneuvers such as stepping backward over obstacles and performing backflips. The robots also wielded traditional martial arts weapons including long sticks, nunchucks, and swords, and even demonstrated a drunken fist routine.

Online commentators expressed amazement, with remarks like "The progress is incredibly fast; last year they could only wave handkerchiefs—this is shocking," "The movements are so fluid; I hope they return every year," and "The agility of these robots exceeds all expectations."

In an interview with CCTV, Wang Xingxing explained that this year's robots featured significant upgrades in both hardware and software, including enhancements to head-mounted LiDAR and dexterous hands. He noted, "Over the past year, technological advancements in robotics, both within our company and across China, have been rapid. Our robots are now capable of performing various kung fu movements, and on stage, we challenged them with extreme actions that might be difficult even for skilled martial artists."

Wang further elaborated that this year, the robots changed formations by running, unlike the slower, variable-speed walking of previous performances. He revealed that the robots reached instantaneous speeds exceeding three meters per second while maintaining precise formation stability, representing a major upgrade. "We found simple backflips uninteresting, so we challenged ourselves with consecutive backflips, which demand higher hardware capabilities and stability, especially when performed by multiple units simultaneously," he added.

Wang emphasized that the robots accomplished formation changes and martial arts maneuvers while running at high speeds, marking the global debut of this high-dynamic, high-coordination swarm control technology. He stated, "These capabilities are highly practical and pave the way for future applications of robotic swarms or individual robot dispatches in various scenarios."

Looking ahead, Wang expressed hope that with continued advancements in AI, humanoid robots could increasingly take on dangerous or physically demanding tasks, thereby enhancing productivity and improving quality of life.

In previous discussions about breakthroughs in embodied intelligence, Wang pointed out that the primary challenge lies in the current limitations of AI models themselves, particularly in terms of generalization and versatility. He explained, "For instance, using end-to-end AI training in a fixed scenario can achieve nearly 100% success rates. However, a critical flaw emerges if the scenario changes even slightly—success rates plummet. This remains a significant hurdle for AI today. I believe everyone has opportunities in the era of embodied intelligence; it feels like we haven't yet seen the 'Newton' of this field—the technology is still in a relatively nascent stage."

Wang also commented that the robotics and embodied intelligence industries are largely driven by AI advancements, though the growth trajectory may become increasingly steep. "If breakthroughs in broadly applicable embodied AI models and robotic technologies occur in the coming years, the excitement around them could be 100 or even 1,000 times greater than it is now. This fervor, I believe, would far surpass that of the mobile internet era," he projected.

Unitree Technology completed its IPO辅导 (listing guidance) period on November 15, 2025, and plans to apply for an initial public offering domestically. On January 4 of this year, the company stated that its listing preparations are proceeding normally and that relevant progress will be disclosed in accordance with laws and regulations.

In a separate segment at the gala's Yibin branch venue, a hundred "robot pandas" made a synchronized appearance, performing running, formation, and dance routines in a city square. This event marked the world's first public synchronous performance by a hundred quadruped robots.

These "robot pandas" were created by modifying Magic Atom's quadruped robot, MagicDog, with panda-themed exterior coverings. According to the Magic Atom team, to achieve natural nodding, head-shaking, and turning motions, they implemented a three-degree-of-freedom head drive system. This modification established a new mechanical coupling between the robot's body, the panda exterior, and the motor modules, accompanied by a rebuilt control system to synchronize head movements with gait and formation rhythms.

The panda exterior also reduced available space for heat dissipation, posing a risk of triggering joint protection mechanisms during high-load continuous operation. The team addressed this by optimizing current management and power control strategies to ensure stable output from the drive system during sustained movement.

Performing in an urban setting like Yibin required the hundred robot pandas to operate synchronously in a dense wireless signal environment. Magic Atom ensured command transmission stability through communication link optimization and on-site frequency band coordination.

On the control level, the team decomposed complex dance instructions into standardized poses and time sequences. These were distributed via unified encoding and executed after individual device decoding, significantly reducing communication load and enabling millisecond-level synchronization among all hundred units even under high-frequency scheduling.

Meanwhile, at the gala's main venue, six Magic Atom humanoid robots (MagicBot Z1) and two MagicBot Gen1 models performed alongside artists such as Yi Yangqianxi and Jerry Yan in a act titled "Intelligent Creation of the Future." The Z1 model also demonstrated a series of difficult maneuvers at a branch venue, including 360-degree Thomas flares and crescent kicks.

Magic Atom was established in January 2024 as an incubatee of Dreame Technology. By the end of 2024, it had secured 150 million yuan in angel funding from Zhuichuang Venture Capital, followed by hundreds of millions of yuan in strategic investment from Hechuang Zhiyuan in May 2025.

Gu Shitao, Co-founder of Magic Atom, previously stated during a global partners conference that the company is advancing according to an accelerated timeline for its public listing and hopes to share news related to the secondary market within the year.