At the 2026 China Online Media Forum, Wang Xingxing, founder and CEO of Unitree Robotics, delivered a speech titled "When Robots Go Viral," precisely defining the "tipping point" in the field of embodied intelligence.
He believes that the "ChatGPT moment" for embodied intelligence marks the stage where robots can complete 80% to 90% of tasks with just voice commands once they enter unfamiliar environments. Although the technology is not yet fully achieved, Wang predicts this milestone will be realized within the next two to three years, while some Silicon Valley experts are even more optimistic, believing it could happen in as little as 18 months.
Movement Is the Prerequisite for Work: The Core Logic of Unitree Robotics
Regarding the development path of humanoid robots, Wang Xingxing proposed the core logic of "advancing movement and work in parallel." He emphasized that strong movement capabilities are a prerequisite for robots to truly perform practical tasks.
Only when humanoid robots have sufficiently rich limb movements and can logically combine these basic actions do they truly gain the ability to "work." This internal-to-external evolutionary approach is transforming robots from lab exhibits into real-world laborers.
The Eve of a Technological Explosion: A Major Breakthrough Will Come This Year
Wang Xingxing is highly optimistic about the technological progress in recent years, stating that a significant breakthrough in the field of embodied intelligence is bound to occur this year or next year. This assessment aligns with recent major developments in the industry, such as dexterous hand tactile perception and dual-arm collaborative package picking.
As algorithms enhance their ability to understand complex scenarios, humanoid robots are accelerating their departure from pre-set programs, moving swiftly toward the goals of generalization and intelligence.
