BYD unveils humanoid robot design through patent publication
BYD’s first self developed humanoid robot design has appeared in an “Embodied AI Robot” design patent published by China’s National Intellectual Property Administration on October 9, 2026, according to CarNewsChina. The drawings depict a black and white humanoid with a rounded head, no display screen, and articulated arms, torso and legs. The report describes intended uses in service, education and industry, with walking, balance and environmental interaction among the stated capabilities. A published design is not, however, evidence of demonstrated performance or production readiness.
The BYD humanoid robot design resembles Xiao Di, a humanoid previously shared on social media by a company executive. BYD has not confirmed whether the patent represents Xiao Di’s final production model, so its previously disclosed specifications should not be treated as specifications for the newly published design. CarNewsChina reports that Xiao Di stands 1.61 meters tall, weighs 58.5 kg and has 31 degrees of freedom. Its dexterous hand is described as having repeat positioning accuracy of ±1 mm, with object grasping, gesture interaction and pointing based explanations among its functions. The report does not provide test conditions for that accuracy figure.
BYD established a dedicated embodied AI research team in 2022, according to CarNewsChina, and has also backed robotics companies, investing in Agibot in August 2023 and taking a stake in Percibot in April 2025. Its factory experience includes hosting Ubtech’s Walker S1 industrial humanoid at the Changsha plant for material handling and identification tasks. That work involves a separate platform, not validation of BYD’s own design. For its own robots, executives have previously outlined dealership uses: greeting customers, explaining vehicle features and demonstrating infotainment systems. The report gives no production timetable, price or deployment volume for the newly published humanoid design.
Source: CarNewsChina.com
