Chinese Robotics Firm UBTECH Defends Mass Robot Delivery Video After US CEO Claims It's Fake
- MM24 News Desk
- 4 hours ago
- 4 min read
UBTECH Robotics defended the authenticity of its video showing mass delivery of Walker S2 humanoid robots after Brett Adcock, CEO of US robotics company Figure, claimed the footage was computer-generated imagery (CGI) on November 14. The Chinese firm released unedited single-take footage and plans to produce 5,000 units by 2026 and 10,000 by 2027 for applications in automobile manufacturing and smart logistics, inviting critics to "come to China" and witness the development firsthand.
A Chinese robotics company recently released a video depicting its production and delivery of full-size industrial humanoid robots. The video, with a futurist view similar to scenes displayed in sci-fi movie "I, Robot," however, was claimed by a US robotic company head on social media platform X on November 14 as "fake."
Much of the skepticisms on China's robotics strength stem from a lack of understanding of China's manufacturing capabilities and the strengths of the country's supply-chain coordination system, Chinese robotics company UBTECH Robotics told the Global Times, in response to recent doubts from a US tech company head on the authenticity of a video featuring mass delivery of UBTECH Robotics' full-size industrial humanoid robots Walker S2.
The comments come after Brett Adcock, founder and CEO of US robotics company Figure, in recent days cast doubts on the authenticity of a video posted by Chinese tech start-up UBTECH Robotics that celebrated the mass production and delivery of the company's full-size industrial humanoid robots Walker S2.
The video, posted on November 12, features scenes that like a futuristic robot parade sequence lifted straight from a sci-fi blockbuster "I, Robot," showing hundreds of Walker S2 robots lined up neatly in a warehouse where they turn their heads and wave their arms in perfect synchronization before marching in orderly formation into shipping containers.
"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)," Adcock claimed in a post on his X account on November 14.
While skeptics like Adcock still question superficial issues such as whether the videos are "real," Chinese robotics industry has wooed global investors and netizens in recent years, from the robotic exoskeleton device that assists users in climbing up Taishan Mountain, to Unitree's humanoid robots that manipulate handkerchiefs, a classic element of Yangko dance, in the 2025 Spring Festival Gala.
And the next wave is loading, with China's robotics industry taking a lead in entering a new stage of mass production and application.
UBTECH Robotics noted that its Walker S2 delivery will be rolled out in batches to frontline industrial applications, covering key sectors "such as automobile manufacturing, intelligent manufacturing, smart logistics, and embodied-intelligence data centers." The company plans to elevate its annual production capacity for industrial humanoid robots to 5,000 units by 2026 and further expand to 10,000 units by 2027, in response to rapidly-growing market demand, the company told the Global Times.
UBTECH said in a statement sent to the Global Times on Sunday that "the video is to mark a milestone for UBTECH... It is 100 percent real footage shot on-site. 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," the statement noted.
The company also urged critics to "come to China, see the booming development of the humanoid-robotics industry with their own eyes, and get involved in the supply chain themselves."
Wang Peng, an associate researcher at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Sunday that in some cases, the situation of "willful blindness" could also stem from certain "China doomsayers'" sheer arrogance and prejudice.
"China's robotics industry, as well as other cutting-edge high-tech industries, have developed at a breathtaking pace and delivered remarkable achievements. It is time for critics to set aside their prejudices and confront China's tech rise with an open and objective attitude," Wang said.
He also listed a bunch of positive factors that propel China's tech rise, including a complete industrial chain, strong policy support, vibrant open-source cooperation, and robust industrial foundation built by new energy vehicle ecosystem.
The controversy highlights growing tensions in the global robotics industry as Chinese manufacturers rapidly scale production capabilities that many Western observers find difficult to believe. The synchronized demonstration of hundreds of humanoid robots—a feat requiring sophisticated coordination systems and manufacturing precision—represents exactly the kind of mass production capability that has defined China's manufacturing dominance in other sectors.
UBTECH's response strategy—releasing additional unedited footage and inviting site visits—directly challenges skeptics to verify claims firsthand rather than relying on social media analysis of lighting reflections. This approach mirrors how Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers previously responded to Western doubts about their production capabilities.
The planned production ramp to 10,000 units by 2027 would represent unprecedented scale in humanoid robotics manufacturing. For context, most Western robotics companies currently produce humanoid robots in dozens or at most hundreds of units annually. UBTECH's targets suggest confidence in both manufacturing capability and market demand.
The delivery location in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province positions the robots at the heart of China's electronics and manufacturing hub, where supply chain integration and component availability make rapid scaling more feasible than in most other global locations.
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