Chinese automaker Seres has unveiled its first humanoid robot, Xiaosai, marking the company’s entry into the rapidly growing embodied AI sector. The robot is designed with visual recognition, autonomous greeting, and voice interaction capabilities.

The launch highlights the automaker’s expanding focus on robotics, with several additional embodied intelligence robots expected to debut later this year as Seres broadens its presence beyond electric vehicles.

Recently, Hyundai announced plans to deploy over 25,000 Atlas humanoid robots in the US, targeting 30,000 annual units by 2028 with locally manufactured robot components.

Industrial humanoid debut

Chinese automakers are rapidly expanding into humanoid robotics, leveraging expertise in manufacturing, artificial intelligence, supply chains, and automation to develop a new generation of embodied intelligence systems.

The latest entrant is Seres, which has unveiled its first humanoid robot, Xiaosai. The announcement was made by Seres Group director and vice president Kang Bo, who released a video showcasing the robot and confirmed that several additional embodied intelligence products are currently under development and scheduled to make their official debut later this year, reports CNEVPost.

Thought more details are not available, the humanoid is reported to be equipped with visual recognition capabilities, can autonomously greet people, and supports voice-based interaction. Its introduction highlights Seres’ broader efforts to integrate advanced robotics into manufacturing operations.

The company’s factory already employs a range of specialized robots across AI-powered quality inspection, logistics delivery, and production-line collaboration. Among them are Xiaosai 01, which performs quality inspections for chassis assembly, and Xiaosai 02, which checks the exterior configuration of completed vehicles.

According to Seres, the facility’s smart hub coordinates more than 1,600 intelligent devices, while over 3,000 industrial robots operate in synchronization throughout the plant. The factory also incorporates technologies, including the Internet of Things (IoT), big data, digital twins, 5G connectivity, and artificial intelligence, creating a highly automated digital ecosystem, reports CNEVPost.

Automakers go the robot way

Seres’ move into humanoid robotics builds on earlier investments in embodied intelligence. In October 2024, the company signed a cooperation agreement with Volcengine, a subsidiary of ByteDance, in Beijing. The partnership focuses on intelligent robot technologies, including decision-making systems, control technologies, and human-machine augmentation, with an emphasis on multimodal cloud-edge collaboration.

The launch reflects a wider trend among Chinese automakers, many of which view humanoid robots as a natural extension of capabilities developed through electric vehicle production and intelligent manufacturing. Xpeng is among the companies accelerating efforts in the sector. Earlier this month, chairman and CEO He Xiaopeng personally assumed the role of “CEO” of the company’s robotics division to speed up commercialization and development.

BYD has also confirmed that it is developing humanoid robots and is exploring the possibility of selling them through its extensive dealer network in the future. Meanwhile, Chery-backed Aimoga has moved beyond development and into commercialization. The company has begun selling humanoid robots directly to consumers, with a retail price of 285,800 yuan (approximately $42,260).

As Chinese automakers continue investing in embodied AI, humanoid robots are increasingly becoming the next frontier of competition, transforming car manufacturers into major players in the rapidly evolving robotics industry.

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