Humanoids may be winning marathons and getting factory jobs, but after spending a few days with around 100 different robots of all shapes and sizes, one thing was clear: There's a chasm separating viral demonstration video and reality.
At the recent InnoEX technology expo in Hong Kong, humanoids, robot dogs and everything in between were all vying for the attention of attendees. But the three-day conference – a test of endurance even for us humans – revealed at once the impressive advancements made in this industry and the hurdles it still faces to meet the hype.
As this 2026 study showed, the better bipedal robots get at autonomous operation, the more their movements drain existing energy supplies. Make no mistake, from what I've seen in the last six months, China is leading the way, but even now the most advanced humanoids are hampered by battery power. That said, some of the models on display showed incredible hand dexterity and joint movement – when they were charged up, anyway.
Here are some of our favorite moments, with many more in the gallery.
Shenzhen DX Intech Technology won my imaginary "uncanny valley" prize for its set of robots, which were eerily human-like except for the part where they glided around on their wheeled-base. I particularly liked this one, probably because I'm a Swifty and it's heavily late-Eras-Tour coded. The Chinese company is aiming to roll (no pun intended) these robots out into the service industry in customer-facing roles.
Beijing's Linkerbot showed why it's dominating the dextrous-limb department with a humanoid band. The dancing model from Humanoid out front (see below video) captured most of the attention, but this company is one to watch. It says it produces hands with the most degrees of freedom to date, and I didn't see anything to make me doubt it. The hands were honestly one of the highlights for me.
Another Beijing company, Galbot, had its G1 model on display, showing how it could get items you order from a screen off a shelf and deliver it, occasionally tossing it at you across the bench to keep you on your toes.
Meanwhile, Shenzhen startup EngineAI can be forgiven for tiring out its PM01 humanoid. I happened to walk by a "robot shop" a few days later in its home city and was really impressed by its agility and fluidity of movement. But sometimes it's good to see the future looking like an exhausted call-center worker forced to wear business attire to the office. That said, this company is definitely one to watch.
Also from Shenzhen, the more well-known UBTech had its Walker S2 model on display, but it was also taking a snooze in the upright position. It's a safe bet that we'll be seeing more of this company in the comping year, given that its sales and push for rapid AI advancement have it positioned as one of China's leading robot-makers in 2026.
Multi-day expos are surprisingly taxing, and this AgiBot humanoid captured how I was feeling on the final day. While I sadly missed the demo sessions for this one, it's another to keep a close eye on. The company was founded just three years ago by former Huawei engineers Deng Taihua and Peng Zhihui.
Finally, a couple of clips that continue to haunt me – the first for obvious reasons, and the second, when I had Unitree's Go2 robot dog follow me and ask me to shake its paw, and I forgot what that was so instead tried to high-five it. In the same week I collided with a food delivery robot while turning a corner in a Shenzhen hotel hallway and saw restaurant staff roll their eyes at a machine colleague taking dishes to tables with chaotic energy.
The robots are undoubtedly coming, but they have a long way to go yet.
Source: InnoEx
