Prototype of Midea's humanoid robot (Image source: Provided by the interviewee)

AsianFin -- Midea Group's humanoid robots will soon begin their deployment in factories and retail settings, signaling a significant step in the company's robotics ambitions.

Xi Wei, Director of Midea's Intelligent Technology and Application Research Institute, said on Sunday that the robots will be used for factory tasks such as machine maintenance, equipment inspection, and transportation starting in May.

In the latter half of 2025, Midea plans to introduce humanoid robots to offline stores for tasks like product demonstrations and coffee-making.

Xi emphasized that this year, Midea will focus on iterating both fully humanoid and semi-humanoid robots. The company is working to integrate robotics with artificial intelligence (AI) to create innovative solutions for home appliances like air conditioners, ovens, and floor-cleaning machines. These developments are expected to enhance customer service and product functionality, particularly in the consumer appliance space.

Despite these advancements, Xi noted that Midea's robots are still in the early stages of commercialization. Challenges such as battery life, joint lightweighting, and data collection remain, with full industrialization expected to take at least 3-5 more years.

The humanoid robot prototype, unveiled in March 2025, is capable of various actions, including shaking hands, making gestures, dancing, and performing simple tasks like tightening screws. The robot also responds to voice commands, showcasing the company’s progress in making humanoid robots more interactive and capable.

Midea’s Vice President and CTO Wei Chang previously highlighted that the company is intensifying its research and development efforts in humanoid robotics. Although Midea is capable of producing humanoid robots, the focus is on creating solutions that address specific user needs. Initially, these robots will be deployed in industrial and commercial settings, with consumer applications expected in the near future.

The company’s robotics journey began in 2015, and in 2022, Midea acquired KUKA, further cementing its position as one of the leading global players in industrial robotics. In 2024, Midea expanded into humanoid robotics, making it a key international player in the field.

Midea’s commitment to innovation is reflected in its substantial investment in research and development. In 2024, the company allocated 16.2 billion yuan (approximately 4% of revenue) to R&D, bringing its five-year R&D investment total to over 60 billion yuan. Midea's R&D team boasts more than 23,000 researchers, including over 7,000 with master's or doctoral degrees.

The company is also focusing on intelligent manufacturing, using industrial robots to improve efficiency across its factories. As part of its "lighthouse factories," Midea has increased labor productivity by 28%, reduced unit costs by 14%, and shortened order delivery times by 50%. As humanoid robots become more integrated into these facilities, Midea expects to further enhance manufacturing flexibility and automation.

In terms of product innovation, Midea is leveraging embodied intelligence to enable robots to perform more complex tasks. The company’s vision includes creating robots that can handle multi-modal tasks and process complex operations using both large and small AI models, designed to improve decision-making and task execution.

Looking to the future, Midea is exploring the robotization of home appliances. While current challenges in sensor data, computing power, and slow robotics adoption remain, Midea plans to address these issues by developing self-learning robots with expanding functionalities. This will help move smart home appliances from passive to proactive service, benefiting consumers in new ways.

With the humanoid robotics market showing strong potential, Midea is poised to capitalize on growth. According to the GGII, the market for humanoid robots in China is expected to reach 2,400 units in 2024, with global sales expected to surpass 12,400 units. By 2035, the market could grow exponentially, reaching 2 million units globally.

Midea's robotics division has already generated over 30 billion yuan in revenue, and its Shunde-based KUKA Intelligent Manufacturing Technology Park has become the largest industrial robot production base in China. The park has already produced and delivered more than 90,000 robots, with fully automated production lines operating around the clock.

As Midea continues to innovate in humanoid robotics, the company is positioning itself at the forefront of the industry, with plans to revolutionize manufacturing, retail, and household applications in the coming years.