Humanoid robots showcased at this year’s World AI Conference in Shanghai demonstrated tasks closer to everyday use, from dispensing items on shop shelves to sorting groceries and handling hotel laundry. Exhibitors presented machines already operating in controlled service environments, while manufacturers and executives said broader deployment will take more time.
## Humanoid robots performing real-world tasks
At the July 17–20 conference, companies displayed humanoid robots carrying out familiar service jobs: making Chinese tea, fetching and folding linens, and stocking convenience-store shelves. The demonstrations emphasized practical applications rather than experimental choreography, signaling a shift from attention-grabbing performances to task-oriented deployments.
## Hotel trials and Keenon’s XMAN-R1
Keenon Robotics highlighted its XMAN-R1 humanoid, which is being trialled in Chinese hotels. The robot can walk to guest rooms, collect dirty linens, transport them to laundry rooms and fold them after washing — tasks that mirror existing service-robot roles such as food delivery. Keenon is one of China’s earliest providers of robots for hotel operations and said more than half of its business comes from overseas markets including the United States, Europe, Japan and South Korea, where labour shortages and high staff costs drive demand.
“Robots exist primarily to assist humans at work,” said Wan Bin, Keenon Robotics’ chief operating officer. “It can cover shifts during staff breaks and extend business hours. Robots and humans therefore function as complementary partners rather than direct substitutes.”
## Market scale, exports and current limits
Official figures cited at the conference noted about 140 humanoid robot makers in China and more than 400 complete models developed domestically. In the first half of this year, China exported more than 10,000 AI bionic robots — machines designed to resemble humans or animals — to 90 countries. Wan said the industry remains in a high-growth phase with significant capital investment.
Despite signs of commercial viability in controlled settings such as restaurants, hotels and office buildings, exhibitors and executives warned that humanoid robots are not yet ready for more complex environments. Improvements are still needed before machines can reliably operate outdoors or in unpredictable public spaces.
Progress at the Shanghai conference pointed to steady commercialization in service niches, but also underscored that widespread adoption across varied sectors will be gradual as technical and operational challenges persist.
