UBTech Robots Only 'Half as Good' as Humans

BTech Robotics has put a surprisingly clear number on how far its humanoid robots still must go. The Chinese robotics company said earlier this year that its latest industrial humanoid, the Walker S2, operates at no more than half the efficiency of a human worker, the company told the Financial Times. 

UBTech’s target is to raise that to 80% of human productivity by next year. 

The company stated that its latest industrial humanoid, the Walker S2, operates at 50% of an average human employee. 

In March 2025, UBTech said a Walker S1 became Audi's first humanoid in its global production system, including checking vehicle air-conditioning systems for refrigerant leaks. 

The task makes sense as an early use case. Leak detection has traditionally been done by hand and, according to UBTech, can expose workers to volatile gases. A robot can perform the inspection without putting a person directly into that environment. 

But some details remain private. 

UBTech reports that the Walker S1 is 172 cm tall, weighs 76 kg, and can carry 15 kg. The company also claims visual recognition in under 70 ms and positioning accuracy down to the millimeter; independent testing hasn't confirmed these metrics. 

Sources differ: UBTech calls it a deployment, while trade coverage in 2025 called it a pilot for leak detection. 

Neither UBTech nor Audi has disclosed how many robots are operating at the plant, how many hours or shifts they cover, or the commercial terms of the arrangement. 

The partnership existed before work began. Audi FAW NEV and UBTech signed a memorandum of understanding in August 2023, but an MOU is not the same as a purchase order, and no contract value for the Changchun work has been disclosed. 

Mass production started in November 2025. The company says it aims to produce 5,000 units in 2026 and 10,000 in 2027. Orders have already exceeded 800 million yuan." 

To approach human productivity levels will require more than building more robots. MERICS analyst Altynay Junusova pointed to dexterity, motion control, and multifunctional hands as areas UBTech still needs to improve. 

For now, one important number remains absent: UBTech has not disclosed how much inspection work the Walker S1 performs on the Changchun production in comparison to a human operator.