Across many languages, the term “civilization” can be traced back to the Latin word civitas, which means “city.” This connection is fitting, as cities have long represented the highest expression of organized human society, bringing together diversity, energy and innovation. In the modern era, however, the concept of a city is evolving, with greater emphasis being placed on creating healthier and more fulfilling ways of life.

In northern China, the rapidly developing city of Xiong’an is emerging as an important part of the country’s long-term development strategy and its vision for the future.

From the beginning, Xiong’an has followed an unusual approach to urban construction by prioritizing ecological development before large-scale building began. One of its most prominent initiatives is the Millennium Forest project. The name reflects the goal of establishing a self-sustaining and resilient forest ecosystem capable of renewing itself and remaining healthy for generations. During the past nine years, approximately 483,000 mu, equivalent to about 32,200 hectares, of trees have been planted throughout Xiong’an. As a result, forest coverage has increased from 11 percent to 35.1 percent, steadily transforming the city into a greener urban environment.

At the same time, Xiong’an is developing a sophisticated digital infrastructure alongside its physical expansion. Around 40 billion pieces of operational data serve as the foundation of the city’s cloud-based management system, allowing its physical and digital environments to develop together. Essential urban functions can be monitored through this digital network. Autonomous buses are capable of interpreting road conditions, while intelligent streetlights and roadside lidar systems monitor traffic in real time.

The information is transmitted to the city’s computing center, where it can be used to optimize traffic signals. Even waste management has been automated: when cameras identify an overflowing garbage container, cleaning personnel can respond within roughly 10 minutes. Advanced technology is therefore being applied not merely as a showcase of innovation, but as a practical means of improving everyday life.

Ultimately, Xiong’an’s environmental and digital transformation is centered on the needs of its residents. Urban planning has incorporated the concept of “15-minute living circles,” designed to ensure that essential services such as schools, medical facilities, elderly care, retail, restaurants and recreational spaces are conveniently accessible. The city currently has 105 primary and secondary schools and kindergartens, 80 elderly-care facilities and 43 community centers, creating a growing network of public services intended to support comfortable and fulfilling lives.

The extraordinary development of Shenzhen and Shanghai’s Pudong district once captured global attention. Today, Xiong’an is beginning to attract that same interest. What was once a quiet and relatively unknown area has evolved into an ambitious urban plan and is now taking shape as a modern, dynamic city. More than simply another example of China’s rapid urbanization, Xiong’an represents a long-term vision of city-building and a potential legacy of the country’s new era for generations to come.

UBTECH has held its Global Launch Event in Shenzhen, unveiling its long-term vision for human-robot coexistence and introducing the UWORLD U1 Series, described as the world's first mass-produced full-size ultra-bionic humanoid robot lineup. The series comprises three variants: the semi-torso U1 Lite, the full-body U1 Pro designed for high performance, and the high-mobility U1 Ultra. Pricing begins at RMB 119,800, and by the date of launch, total orders for the UWORLD U1 Series had exceeded 13,361 units.

During the event, James Zhou outlined the company's long-term roadmap for advancing collaboration between humans and intelligent robots. He described a three-phase evolution in which humanoid robots will first assume dangerous and repetitive tasks, then expand into daily life through service and companionship roles, and ultimately achieve increasingly natural and integrated interaction with people.

According to Zhou, UBTECH is transitioning from a conventional robotics manufacturer into a platform-driven enterprise focused on AI-powered robotics and intelligent infrastructure. He highlighted the company's strategic development plan spanning two decades. The first stage, from 2012 to 2022, centered on building foundational technologies and moving humanoid robotics from research environments into commercial and industrial applications. The second stage, covering 2023 to 2033, focuses on expanding into consumer robotics, with 2026 representing a significant milestone in bringing humanoid robots into everyday life.

Leveraging its proprietary full-stack humanoid robotics technologies, extensive application experience, and sustained investment in research and talent development, UBTECH has reached several notable industry achievements. Following the success of its industrial robotics business, the company ranked first worldwide in both revenue and sales volume for full-sized embodied intelligent humanoid robots in 2025. The introduction of UWORLD in 2026 marks its formal entry into the consumer robotics market.

Michael Tam emphasized that human-robot companionship could redefine approaches to emotional and psychological well-being. He suggested that companion robots may emerge as a major new consumer category by delivering personalized emotional support throughout different stages of life. He also referenced projections indicating that China's ultra-bionic humanoid robot market could expand from tens of billions of RMB to a trillion-RMB industry between 2026 and 2036.

UWORLD incorporates a fully proprietary end-to-end technology ecosystem that includes biomimetic skin technology, embodied intelligence hardware, operating systems, emotion-centric large language models, and vertically integrated manufacturing capabilities. This comprehensive technological framework is intended to address longstanding challenges associated with deploying humanoid robots in real-world environments.

The UWORLD U1 Series features 88 degrees of freedom and a proprietary dual-axis biomimetic cervical spine design, allowing it to reproduce approximately 90 percent of fundamental human movements. The robots are powered by what the company describes as the world's first emotion-aware large language model developed specifically for long-term companionship, capable of identifying more than 20 nuanced emotional states with accuracy exceeding 90 percent.

Its biomimetic fast-and-slow brain architecture, inspired by cognitive neuroscience, combines rapid intuitive responses within 500 milliseconds with advanced reasoning capabilities driven by large-scale AI models containing hundreds of billions of parameters. In addition, a proprietary biomimetic facial expression control system reduces speech-to-lip synchronization delays to less than 20 milliseconds, creating highly realistic human-like interactions.

The platform's Agent Memory OS serves as a persistent cross-temporal memory framework, enabling long-term digital continuity. A proactive care engine equipped with environmental awareness capabilities supports interaction without requiring wake words, allowing UWORLD robots to respond naturally to contextual information and social situations.

UWORLD also places significant emphasis on privacy and user data ownership. Its three-tier privacy architecture incorporates local-first processing, limited cloud dependence, and hardware-level user controls. Combined with advanced interaction technologies and a comprehensive safety framework, this approach aims to transform humanoid robots from functional devices into emotionally intelligent companions.

The U1 Series has been developed for a broad range of consumer and commercial applications. These include companionship, emotional support, lifestyle assistance, and social interaction, as well as hospitality and reception services, elder care, psychological support, tourism experiences, exhibitions, research and education, and premium household services.

During the launch event, UWORLD also introduced its "Human-Robot Companionship Initiative." The company noted that China has more than 90 million adults living alone and approximately 118 million elderly individuals living without family support. It further cited estimates suggesting that between 10 and 20 percent of people living alone meet clinical criteria for mental health disorders. To address these challenges, UWORLD announced plans to donate customized humanoid robots annually to support vulnerable populations, including children separated from one or both parents, seniors living independently, and families facing difficult circumstances, with the objective of providing sustained emotional companionship and psychological assistance.

As part of this initiative, UWORLD plans to donate 100 customized U1 Series humanoid robots in 2026. These robots will utilize 3D facial reconstruction and voiceprint replication technologies to recreate designated individuals, while incorporating emotion-driven interaction systems and dedicated long-term memory capabilities. Together with multimodal situational awareness technologies, the robots are intended to deliver structured psychological support services.

With the launch of UWORLD, UBTECH has established a robotics ecosystem spanning industrial, commercial, and consumer sectors. While the company's industrial Walker S Series has already entered mass production and begun commercial deliveries, UWORLD is positioned to become its next major growth driver by accelerating the adoption of humanoid robotics in consumer markets.