China studies humanoid robots for urban warfare
A Reuters review of more than 100 Chinese procurement notices, academic studies, patents and official materials shows Beijing accelerating research into humanoid robots for military use after a public robot games showcase. The work, which gained momentum in 2025 and 2026, focuses on perception, manipulation and training data, and includes university exercises that model urban assault roles and PLA tenders for humanoid systems. State firms such as Norinco are developing full-size humanoids with teleoperation, while analysts and humanitarian groups warn of technical limits and legal risks before armed deployment would be feasible.
Chinese military is accelerating humanoid robot research and procurement
Context
Robots showed advanced skills at the World Humanoid Robot Games. The PLA and military researchers then pushed for faster tech transfer. Next steps could include more testing, tenders and data collection for humanoid training.
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