From July 26-28, the 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) was held in Shanghai with the theme Global Solidarity in the AI Era. Compared to last year’s event, which featured only 18 robotics companies, this year’s conference saw participation from over 80 companies related to embodied intelligence, according to the organizer.
One highlight was the WAIC Robotics Street, a blended retro-futuristic recreation of 1990s Shanghai, with supermarkets, snack streets, repair shops, industrial workshops and community centers, staffed by various cutting-edge humanoid robotics.
On this street, robots showcased a wide range of skills. In the mini supermarket, they picked beverages from the shelves and handed them to customers. Robots also prepared oden, a traditional Japanese winter dish, and were busy selling popcorn to curious visitors.
In the repair shop, robots were focused on tightening screws. In the industrial workshop, they were actively sorting materials. At the cultural center, they were charged with performing: writing calligraphy, playing gongs and drums, and dancing.
Another crowded booth was Unitree’s robot boxing ring. The match featured pairs of its humanoid robot G1, which stands 1.32 meters tall, weighs 35 kilograms, and is equipped with 29 flexible joints and an intelligent balance algorithm. It demonstrated agility in punch combos and spinning kicks on the boxing stage. It was able to get back on its feet after falling within seconds.
Mech-Mind Robotics presented a display of embodied intelligence featuring a full-stack integration of “eyes, brain, and hands.” Powered by the Mech-GPT multimodal large model, their robots demonstrated cross-scenario task execution capabilities.
At the exhibition area, a dual-arm robot folded clothes, a humanoid robot picked items from shelves and handed them to visitors, and a robotic arm handled sheet metal parts. Behind these scenes was the coordination of 3D high-precision cameras, machine vision software, and dexterous five-fingered hands.
Based on the booth tour, this reporter believes that industrial robots are currently more practical and mature when compared with humanoid robots. Their application in logistics, manufacturing, and automation has already delivered real-world value, supported by related hardware and software. With continuous advancements in AI and perception systems, industrial robots are becoming smarter, more flexible, and easier to deploy.
Currently, in China, industrial robots have become a mature solution in parcel sorting, especially in automated warehouses and logistics hubs. A notable example is Chinese logistic firm SF Express, which is already using robotic sorting systems in its smart logistics parks.
