Recently, the 2026 World Robot Conference (WRC) did something unprecedented in previous years: for the first time, it set up a "Procurement Day" to centrally arrange procurement negotiations and industrial chain matchmaking. Everyone must be curious about how the business negotiations went. Although specific orders cannot be known from the letters of intent, we can derive some insights from the publicly disclosed bidding and winning records of humanoid robots in August.
In August 2026, there were approximately 85 public bidding projects related to humanoid robots in China, with a total winning bid amount of about CNY 260 million. Among this, the humanoid robot bodies and related configuration packages (including dexterous hands, teleoperation systems, data collection platforms, etc., supporting humanoid robots) totaled approximately CNY 93.77 million. The remaining portion was allocated to non-humanoid teaching aids, intelligent system equipment, platforms, quadruped robots, workstations, etc.
Information source: Collected and organized by MIR DATABANK
*Note: The 85 valid winning bid records exclude engineering construction projects and projects with amounts less than CNY 100,000; the total price statistics for individual items are incomplete, so the sum of these items may be less than the total winning bid amount.
01. Bidding Projects: Scientific Research and Education Account for Over 75% in Quantity and Over 65% in Amount
Compared to June and July, August still saw schools and research institutions account for the largest number of procurement projects, representing 78% in quantity and 68% in amount. Universities, vocational colleges, and secondary vocational schools purchase humanoid robots mainly for curriculum development in AI (Artificial Intelligence), embodied intelligence, intelligent manufacturing, robot operation and maintenance, and industrial scenario training. Therefore, the procurement content has evolved into a complete system: "robot body + data collection + training scenarios + curriculum platform + real workstation verification."
Information source: Collected and organized by MIR DATABANK
*Note: Since two turnkey projects for the data collection centers include project construction amounts and have a relatively large overall value, they are not included in the charts here to avoid data distortion.
Description of Key Project Types in August
Information source: Collected and organized by MIR DATABANK
Dual-track advancement in data collection center/training ground construction and equipment procurement. In August, there were a total of 10 data collection center/training ground projects. Among them, 2 were overall construction projects: the transaction for the Suqian Digital and Intelligent New City Embodied Intelligence Robot Data Collection and Training Center reached CNY 80.8 million, making it the largest single deal in August.
02. Brand Performance: AgiBot and Beijing Humanoid Robot Make the List
Projects from June to August clearly show that Unitree has the highest number of related projects. This is because Unitree's advantages are very obvious: the G1 and H2 are moderately priced and fully configured, coupled with a mature agency system. Vocational colleges across the country can buy them through local agents with fast delivery. Leju takes a low-price, high-volume route, with all purchases being in bulk. UBTECH has a slightly higher unit price and focuses on overall solutions for education and government affairs. AgiBot has a higher price per unit. The projects this time involve a rich variety of models from half-size to full-size, mainly entering university scientific research, industrial training, and industrial scenario projects, usually procured together with equipment such as teleoperation systems, data collection, and training platforms. Beijing Humanoid Robot (Tiangong) had only 2 projects in August. Unlike Unitree, which relies on agents for high volume, Beijing Humanoid Robot is backed by an innovation center. Although there are not many projects, the individual scale is not small, mainly focusing on scientific research platforms and industrial park scenarios.
Top 5 Brands by Number of Projects in August
Information source: Collected and organized by MIR DATABANK
03. Non-Bidding Projects: Public Inter-Enterprise Contracts Signed in August
Bidding only reveals orders from schools and the government. For those truly working in factories, many do not go through the bidding process. Many robots are already executing tasks on production lines. Such orders will not appear in bidding announcements, but they are a signal that the industry is truly moving forward.
Letters of intent reached at the WRC and commercial contracts between enterprises mostly do not require external disclosure of amounts and quantities. The above only includes contract information queryable through public channels. UBTECH × Basic Semiconductor places humanoid robots on silicon carbide production lines, which belongs to "working on the production line"; AgiBot × Chimelong places robots in theme parks, hotels, and performance scenarios, which belongs to "making money in consumer scenarios". One verifies industrial feasibility, and the other verifies commercial demand, perfectly representing the two main paths for enterprise orders.
Information source: Collected and organized by MIR DATABANK
The rental market is a track that is easily overlooked: among the public bidding projects in August, only two rental orders can be seen. One is for Unitree robots rented by the Bijie Municipal Association for Science and Technology for the Science Popularization Month—5 U2 humanoid robots and 5 GO2 robot dogs, equipped with 5 technical personnel for one day of service, with a transaction amount of CNY 15,000; the other is the short-term display service project for the bipedal robot football kicking performance at the China Science and Technology Museum in July, with a budget of CNY 140,000. Due to fewer than 3 registered suppliers, it was delayed to August for the transaction, with a transaction amount of CNY 140,000. The two add up to just over CNY 100,000, which seems inconspicuous, but this is exactly the most real picture of the rental market: rental orders are small and fragmented; public bidding can only reveal the tip of the iceberg, with the bulk of transactions occurring in private deals and rental platforms. Policies are also pushing in this direction: since July, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and other departments have continuously encouraged "leasing instead of purchasing," allowing enterprises to use short-term rentals, time-sharing rentals, and pay-for-performance models without paying the full price for equipment.
The demand side of the rental market is growing: CCTV Finance reported in mid-August that robot rental orders on leading rental platforms increased by 419% year-on-year. However, the price side is falling: daily rent has dropped from over CNY 10,000 last year to CNY 2,000 to 3,000, and 90% of the rental stalls in Huaqiangbei, Shenzhen have withdrawn. Small players relying on "eye-catching" displays to make quick money are exiting the market, and orders are accelerating towards professional platforms like Qingtianzu. At the end of August, the back-to-school season brought a small peak with robots welcoming new students. During the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays, rental demand in shopping malls, scenic spots, and science and technology museums saw further release.
CCTV Finance reported on September 24 that as the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays approach, the use of robots in scenarios such as cultural and tourism performances and commercial activities has significantly increased. In a robot 6S store in Longgang District, Shenzhen, staff members are conducting the final round of maintenance on the humanoid robots and quadruped robot dogs to be delivered that day. The store manager told reporters that since entering September, the volume of rental orders has climbed significantly.
04. Policy Setting the Tone: Demand and Standards Take the Stage Simultaneously
At the World Robot Conference from August 19 to 23, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC) announced on-site the establishment of the "Central Enterprise Robot Innovation Consortium." For the first time, purchasers sat at the front of the exhibition booths, and the assessment criteria also changed: it is no longer about how cool the movements are, but whether they can operate stably 24/7.
On the standards front, on August 24, the Department of Science and Technology of the MIIT solicited public opinions on the "Guidelines for the Construction of the National Humanoid Robot Industry Standard System (2026 Edition)," proposing to focus on breakthroughs in six major areas: basic commonality, brain-like and intelligent computing, limbs and components, complete machines and systems, applications, and safety ethics; by 2028, the standard system will be built, completing the formulation of at least 100 key standards, with standard promotion and implementation covering over 200 enterprises. On September 1, GB/T 47245—2026 "General Architecture of Robot Intelligent Control System" was officially implemented.
Local levels are simultaneously increasing support and starting to subsidize "usage" and "rental." On August 5, Longgang, Shenzhen opened the application for the 2026 scenario application "open competition" project declaration: the district's "Several Measures on Supporting the AI (Artificial Intelligence) Industry to Lead High-Quality Development (Revised Edition)" specifies that scenario application construction projects will receive a maximum support of CNY 4 million; for robot "open competition" projects, the project issuer will receive a maximum of CNY 2 million, and the project winner a maximum of CNY 3 million. Enterprises purchasing, using, or leasing robot products can also receive an annual subsidy of up to CNY 1 million. The government uses "providing opportunities, venues, and data" to guide enterprises to real production lines; the local approach is consistent with the national one: first provide scenarios, then subsidies, and finally procurement.