UBTECH partners with Shenhao for power grid humanoids
UBTECH Robotics and Shenhao Technology have signed a strategic partnership to develop and deploy humanoid robots for power grid operations, according to Gasgoo. The work is centered on State Grid and China Southern Power Grid scenarios including substations and distribution rooms, two environments where access, safety and task reliability set a high bar for mobile robots.
The companies plan what the source describes as full chain cooperation, combining UBTECH’s embodied humanoid robot technology with Shenhao’s system integration and field deployment experience in the power industry. Shenhao is described as having two decades of roots in the sector. The partners also intend to set up a Joint Innovation Laboratory for Embodied Intelligence in Power Applications, with work spanning technical verification and industry standards.
Power grid tasks are a demanding humanoid test case
The stated application list is more specific than the usual inspection robot announcement. In substations and distribution rooms, the humanoids are expected to move through narrow passages and climb stairs autonomously, while using multimodal sensors for infrared temperature checks, defect detection, switching operations and grounding wire installation.
Those tasks are relevant to humanoids because the work sites were built for people, not for wheeled robots or fixed automation. Stairs, tight aisles, cabinets, switches and tools all favor a human shaped machine if the robot can meet the safety and reliability requirements. The source does not name a specific UBTECH robot model, disclose autonomy limits, or give deployment dates, so the practical maturity of the system remains unclear from this report.
The safety argument is straightforward. Close range inspection and watch duty near live electrical equipment can expose human workers to hazards. A robot that can perform routine checks and some physical operations without placing staff in the immediate danger zone would have a credible role, provided utilities accept its failure modes and operating procedures.
China’s grid operators could create a sizable early market
Gasgoo reports that State Grid has released a 2026 Embodied Intelligence Development Plan calling for procurement of roughly 8,500 embodied intelligence devices, with total investment of about 6.8 billion yuan (roughly $940 million). Including expected activity from China Southern Power Grid and regional energy groups, the article says power sector investment in embodied intelligence could exceed 10 billion yuan (about $1.4 billion) this year.
Those figures cover embodied intelligence devices broadly, not necessarily only humanoid robots. Still, utility operations are a credible industrial beachhead for humanoids if vendors can demonstrate repeatability in inspection, switching and emergency support tasks. The partnership also gives UBTECH a channel into a sector where domain knowledge, certification and system integration can matter as much as the robot hardware.
The companies say they will also work on technical specifications and safety standards for power industry use. For UBTECH power humanoids, that standards work may prove as consequential as the first deployments, since grid operators are unlikely to scale humanoid systems without clear rules for autonomy, remote supervision and safe operation near energized assets.
Source: autonews.gasgoo.com
