Galbot Lists ET1 Humanoid for Preorder After Beijing Debut

Galbot says preorders are open for its ET1 humanoid robot, following a Sept. 3 announcement on its website. Its product page now links to a JD.com purchase listing, although pricing and delivery terms could not be verified from the accessible listing. 

The ET1 debuted at the World Robot Conference in Beijing held earlier this year.  

China Daily described it as Galbot’s first bipedal humanoid, expanding a lineup previously known for wheeled robots. As per Galbot, it has the ability to respond to people and learn new movements during interaction. 

In launch footage described by IT Home, the robot performed street-dance moves, including handstands, alongside a human dancer.  

Galbot attributed the performance to a system that recognizes and reproduces human movements in real time. The footage was a promotional demonstration, not an independent test of how reliably the robot learns unfamiliar tasks. 

Galbot’s ET1 product page says the robot can acquire new movement skills through direct interaction without motion-capture recordings or movement videos. That describes how the company says new skills can be acquired; it does not specify what data was used to train the underlying system. 

According to China Daily’s account of Galbot’s AstraBrain-Agent software, the system is designed to observe its surroundings, interpret spoken instructions and plan actions as conditions change. Galbot’s stated aim is to move beyond replaying prepared movement sequences. 

Tennis is another task the company has been exploring. Chief Technology Officer Wang He said in the newspaper article that hitting a ball requires whole-body balance and precise wrist control. Its Aug. 21 report said the ET1 was being trained to play tennis. 

The company lists entertainment and visitor interaction among ET1’s intended uses, including storefront greetings, theme parks and stage performances.  

How reliably ET1 learns unfamiliar tasks, how much help it needs, and whether it can repeat those skills in different settings remain unclear. The available reports also do not confirm customer deliveries or routine use by paying customers.