Unitree's Hangzhou Factory Relies Heavily on Manual Assembly for Robot Production
- Published
- Source
- HumanoidsDaily
A recent visit to Unitree's Hangzhou factory revealed that most of the company's robots are still assembled by hand, according to Josef Chen, founder of Kaikaku. While there are a few automated lines, the majority of assembly involves manual labor, which is reflected in Unitree's IPO filings. The company produced nearly 32,000 robots in 2025, with a significant portion being quadrupeds, and the cost of machinery per robot is approximately $50.
This reliance on manual assembly highlights the challenges in automating robot production, especially as Unitree's labor costs are significantly lower than those in the US. The company is focusing on automating joint modules first, as they are used across multiple products. Despite advancements, Unitree's CEO noted that humanoids are not yet ready for large-scale factory deployment, with most revenue from humanoids coming from research and education rather than industrial applications.
Unitree's new motor line is expected to reduce labor costs significantly, but the overall impact on robot pricing remains minimal. As US policies increasingly favor domestic production, the landscape for robotics manufacturing may shift, making automation more critical for companies like Unitree to remain competitive in the global market.
Original report
Inside Unitree's Hangzhou Factory, Robots Are Still Mostly Built by Hand
HumanoidsDaily · [email protected] (Humanoids Daily Staff)This briefing is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting and is provided for industry information and news discovery. The original report and source publication are credited and linked where applicable. RobotToday does not claim ownership of third-party source material.
Rights concerns? Contact [email protected] with the relevant URL and details. We will review the matter and take appropriate action where warranted.
More related news
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
-
10
RobotToday Weekly October 26 – 30, 2026 RobotToday · 1 week ago
- 11
- 12
Related Suppliers
Unitree Robotics 宇树科技
China
Chinese robotics manufacturer of quadruped and humanoid robots; held ~70% of global quadruped unit sales in 2024 with Go2, B2, H1, and G1 models.
KAIKAKU
United Kingdom
London food-service robotics company founded in 2023; builds the Fusion kitchen automation system, rated for up to 360 bowls per hour, now under REEF.
Nucleus Robotics
Germany
Guetersloh, Germany startup founded 2026 renting humanoid robots to factories at 25-45 euros per hour and building physical AI from the data.
Robo Inc.
United States
Plainview, NY robot integrator launched in 2026 by Unitree distributor RoboStore; the group cites 1,500+ robots delivered and a 66,000 sq ft plant plan.
Machine Vision Lighting Inc.
Japan
Tokyo firm whose patented VISA-Method lighting delivers uniform illumination and one-step 3-D imaging for machine-vision inspection.
Combined Powers
Germany
Krone-Lemken cooperation project in Spelle, Germany developing a driverless traction unit plus implement to replace the tractor driver, using TIM and ISOBUS.
Retrocausal, Inc.
United States
US AI software company (est. 2019, Redmond WA) providing computer-vision Copilots for manual assembly quality and productivity.
EFS Gesellschaft für Hebe- und Handhabungstechnik mbH
Germany
German manufacturer of manual, semi-auto and fully automated manipulators; founded 1996 in Nordheim with subsidiaries in the USA and China.
Japan Robot Association (JARA) 日本机器人工业协会
Japan
World's first robotics industry association, founded in Japan in 1971, representing over 350 members and publishing authoritative global robot statistics.
Suzhou Pangolin Robot Co., Ltd. 苏州穿山甲机器人股份有限公司
China
Suzhou service-robot maker (est. 2006, formerly CSJBOT, now sold abroad as Alpha Robotics): Amy and Alice reception robots, Speedybot and Panda delivery robots.
Active Space Automation
Portugal
Portuguese AGV manufacturer developing automated guided vehicles for intralogistics and material handling in Industry 4.0 environments.
Asamaka Industries Ltd
Canada
Windsor, ON engineering firm; electrical design, PLC controls, robot programming, AI/ML integration, and XR digital twins for manufacturers.
Robotics needs a service framework.
RSF defines a common language for robot service capability, lifecycle operations, certification pathways, and service-provider networks.
Join the RobotToday community on LinkedIn
Daily robotics news, in-depth analysis, conference highlights, and discussions with professionals worldwide.
