ByEditor

March 1, 2026

China took a significant step toward regulating its rapidly growing humanoid robotics industry on Saturday, with the release of the country’s first national standard system covering the entire industrial chain and lifecycle of humanoid robots and embodied artificial intelligence.

The standard system, unveiled at the annual meeting of Humanoid Robots and Embodied Intelligence Standardisation (HEIS) in Beijing, comprises six key components: basic commonality, brain-like and intelligent computing, limbs and components, complete machines and systems, application, and safety and ethics.

It was developed collaboratively by over 120 research institutions, enterprises, and industry users under the organization of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s technical committee for HEIS.

The brain-like and intelligent computing standards cover critical specifications for embodied intelligence’s “brain and cerebellum” and intelligent computing, regulating the entire data lifecycle and model training and deployment processes, according to the committee.

Application standards govern the development, operation, and maintenance of humanoid robots across different scenarios, while safety and ethics standards run through the entire industrial lifecycle, providing compliance assurance for technological evolution, it added.

The standard system comes after China’s humanoid robot industry saw significant growth throughout 2025, backed by mid-to-long-term plans from national and local governments targeting it as a strategic sector.

Last year is considered China’s first year of humanoid robot mass production, with over 140 domestic manufacturers releasing more than 330 different models, according to China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

The new standard system is expected to provide crucial guidance for this rapidly expanding industry, promoting high-quality development through standardized technical requirements and safety protocols.