China unveils humanoid robots with dual-battery hot swap for nonstop factory operations

Shanghai Electric used the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference to unveil a lineup of industrial robots and AI software aimed at automating complex manufacturing tasks, the company announced. The Chinese engineering giant said its latest embodied AI portfolio targets jobs such as precision assembly, connector insertion, electrical operations, and pipe processing. One flagship system is the SUYUAN bipedal humanoid robot, which features 41 degrees of freedom, a multimodal vision system, and a dual-battery hot-swap design that allows continuous operation. The robot is intended for inspection work, material transport, and assembly tasks inside industrial facilities. The company also presented the TUOYUAN wheeled humanoid robot designed for multi-specification connector insertion and automotive sheet metal handling, and the Mermaid wheeled humanoid robot for industrial control operations. Shanghai Electric also demonstrated an autonomous robot that chamfers the inside edges of industrial pipes with positioning accuracy within one millimeter. The robotics hardware formed only part of the announcement, as the company also unveiled 51 AI models and intelligent agents under its StarCloud Intelligent Manufacturing platform. Engineers developed the models for research and development, manufacturing, and equipment maintenance. Wang Chunlei, deputy general manager of the Robotics Business Unit at Shanghai Electric Automation Group, said the true value of embodied intelligence lies in understanding real industrial tasks. He added that the goal is to combine machine precision with human judgment to support closer human-robot collaboration.