Dec 01, 2025 07:30 AM EST The video depicted UBTECH shipping hundreds of its Walker S2 humanoid robots. UBTECH Robotics Chinese robotics firm UBTECH Robotics has sparked global attention after releasing footage showing hundreds of its humanoid robots moving in synchronized formation inside a warehouse. The spectacle prompted US robotics leader and Figure CEO Brett Adcock to question publicly whether the footage was computer-generated. The Shenzhen-based firm responded by defending the video’s authenticity, citing China’s scale of manufacturing and coordinated supply chain strengths. The video , which resembles scenes from the sci-fi film I, Robot, shows scores of Walker S2 humanoid machines turning their heads, waving, and marching into shipping containers. Sci-fi or real? Shenzhen may be witnessing a robotics breakthrough — or a highly polished showcase — as UBTECH Robotics claims to have shipped hundreds of its Walker S2 humanoid robots to operational industrial sites. The company says volume production ramped up in mid-November, with the first batch already sent to partners seeking extra labor for assembly lines. UBTECH frames the rollout as a concrete milestone proving humanoid robots are moving beyond prototypes into real deployment. “Huge milestone achieved! World’s first mass delivery of humanoid robots has completed! Hundreds of UBTECH Walker S2 have been delivered to our partners. The future of industrial automation is here. March forward to transformation,” said the firm titled the video released on YouTube on November 12. However, some observers remain cautious, noting that the announcement relies heavily on promotional video footage and limited independent verification, raising questions about how widely the robots are actually being used. Adcock has openly questioned the authenticity of UBTECH’s now-viral footage of its humanoid robot. After the video surfaced, Adcock took to social media, arguing the scenes appeared computer-generated. He pointed the inconsistent reflections on the robots, claiming only the machine in the foreground were real while the rest were digitally added. “Look at the reflections on this bot, then compare them to the ones behind it. The bot in front is real -everything behind it is fake. If you see a head unit reflecting a bunch of ceiling lights, that’s a giveaway it’s CGI (computer-generated imagery),” said Adcock on a post on X. Robotics surge UBTECH quickly pushed back, releasing a follow-up clip filmed with a first-person-view drone and raw ambient audio to silence doubts and invite scrutiny. Despite the additional footage, Adcock remains skeptical — and he is not the only one, reports the South China Morning Post (SCMP). UBTECH defended the footage in a statement to the Global Times (GT), saying the clip was created to mark “a milestone for UBTech” and insisting it is “100 percent real footage shot on-site.” The company added that, “in response to these unfounded claims, UBTech’s official video account has released an unedited, single-take, real-time and original-audio clip that fully demonstrates the authenticity of the scene.” “Much of the doubt stems from a lack of understanding of China’s manufacturing capabilities and the collaborative, systemic strength of our supply chains,” said Tan Min, chief brand officer at UBTECH, as reported by SCMP . He added that critics should come to China and see the rapid progress in humanoid robotics firsthand, and engage directly with the industry ecosystem. UBTECH Robotics says the Walker S2 rollout will continue in staged batches, with units heading to frontline industrial environments. According to the company, the robots will be deployed across sectors, including automotive assembly, smart manufacturing, logistics, and emerging embodied-AI data centers, reports GT. Looking ahead, UBTECH plans to significantly scale its production capacity, targeting 5,000 industrial humanoids a year by 2026 and doubling output to 10,000 units annually by 2027. The company told the GT that the expansion is driven by what it describes as rapidly increasing market demand. Recommended Articles Get the latest in engineering, tech, space & science — delivered daily to your inbox. Sign up for free By subscribing, you agree to our Terms of Use and Policies You may unsubscribe at any time. 0COMMENT By Jijo Malayil Jijo is an automotive and business journalist based in India. Armed with a BA in History (Honors) from St. Stephen's College, Delhi University, and a PG diploma in Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Delhi, he has worked for news agencies, national newspapers, and automotive magazines. In his spare time, he likes to go off-roading, engage in political discourse, travel, and teach languages. TRENDING Source: https://interestingengineering.com/ai-robotics/china-humanoid-robots-ubtech-global-debate