China debuts factory robots with hot-swap batteries for nonstop work
Shanghai Electric used the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC 2026) to unveil a broad lineup of industrial robots, AI software, and smart factory technologies aimed at automating complex manufacturing tasks that still depend heavily on human precision.
The Chinese engineering giant said its latest embodied AI portfolio targets jobs such as precision assembly, connector insertion, electrical operations, and pipe processing. Those applications require robots to work in confined spaces and manipulate components with high accuracy over extended periods. The showcase also included new AI models designed to improve factory scheduling, equipment maintenance, and production quality.
Industrial robots expand
Shanghai Electric introduced several new robots built for specialized manufacturing environments. One of the flagship systems is the SUYUAN bipedal humanoid robot. It features 41 degrees of freedom, a multimodal vision system, and a dual-battery hot-swap design that allows continuous operation. The robot is intended for inspection work, material transport, and assembly tasks inside industrial facilities.
The company also presented the TUOYUAN wheeled humanoid robot, which combines an embodied AI foundation model with force-position hybrid control. Engineers designed it to perform multi-specification connector insertion, sort components, and load or unload automotive sheet metal parts.
Another system, the Mermaid wheeled humanoid robot, focuses on industrial control operations. It can identify switches, buttons, and control knobs before generating its own operating path without manual programming.
Shanghai Electric also demonstrated an autonomous robot that chamfers the inside edges of industrial pipes. The machine works inside confined spaces and can process thousands of pipe openings with positioning accuracy within one millimeter while transmitting operating data in real time.
“The true value of embodied intelligence lies in understanding real industrial tasks,” said Wang Chunlei, deputy general manager of the Robotics Business Unit at Shanghai Electric Automation Group. He added that the goal is to combine machine precision with human judgment to support closer human-robot collaboration.
AI reaches factory floor
The robotics hardware formed only part of Shanghai Electric’s WAIC announcement. The company also unveiled 51 AI models and intelligent agents under its StarCloud Intelligent Manufacturing platform. Engineers developed the models for research and development, manufacturing, and equipment maintenance, with applications ranging from process optimization to wind turbine servicing.
Shanghai Electric said these AI agents feed directly into robotic control systems and factory operations. They help production lines schedule work, inspect product quality, and predict equipment failures before they interrupt manufacturing.
Supporting those capabilities is a new AI-Native Smart Factory Technology White Paper, which outlines an architecture that continuously analyzes production data and adjusts factory operations in real time. The proposed framework centers on three elements: an AI “factory brain” that coordinates operations, industrial agents and embodied robots that execute production tasks, and a digital twin that mirrors physical assets throughout the facility.
Shanghai Electric also displayed several core robotic components, including a planetary roller screw that the company says can handle more than three times the load of conventional ball screws. It also introduced the DexHand dexterous robotic hand, designed to handle a wider variety of industrial gripping and manipulation tasks.
As manufacturers worldwide search for ways to offset labor shortages and improve production efficiency, Shanghai Electric is positioning embodied AI as a practical tool for factory automation rather than a standalone robotics showcase. The company says it plans to expand deployment of these systems across more manufacturing environments as the technology matures.
