Humanoids go mainstream as China’s robotics champions appear at CCTV spectacle
ByteDance, Unitree, RedNote, Bilibili and Kuaishou among the firms involved in the unparalleled nationwide marketing opportunity
China’s leading humanoid robotics companies dominated the opening of this year’s Spring Festival Gala, the annual variety spectacle staged by state broadcaster CCTV that offers a rare nationwide marketing platform akin to the US Super Bowl, highlighting the central role of the industry in Beijing’s industrial policy.
Four robotics firms – Hangzhou-based Unitree, Wuxi-based Magiclab, Beijing-based Galbot and Noetix – had announced partnerships with this year’s gala in deals said to be valued at around 100 million yuan (US$14 million), after a Yangge folk dance performance by Unitree robots at last year’s event went viral and brought the industry to a mainstream audience.
The first robots to appear on Monday evening’s show were Noetix’s Bumi robots in a comedy sketch featuring a grandmother and grandson.
Unitree’s robots then performed martial arts with child artists, which included backflips and leaps from trampolines, before Magiclab’s humanoids appeared in a musical performance.
The performances showcased the progress made by humanoid technology in China thus far, with entertainment still the main outlet before they realise their longer-term potential of becoming efficient industrial workers.
Meng Siyuan, a viewer from Zhejiang province, said the choreography was “impressive”, but she was more interested in seeing human performers such as superstar Faye Wong.
“I am curious to see how robotic elements might increase year by year at the Spring Gala,” she said.