Humanoid Robots Just Stopped Being a Video Format

For three years, humanoid robots have mostly been a video format. Impressive clips, staged demos, a lot of "coming soon."

Then a set of flight cases turns up at your warehouse and the category stops being a video.

So I'm glad to say this publicly: Tekpoint is working with AGIBOT, and we will be on the stand together at IFA Berlin.

Who AGIBOT Is

A word on who they are, because the name is still new in Europe. AGIBOT was founded in Shanghai in February 2023 by Peng Zhihui, a former Huawei "Genius Youth" engineer, and former Huawei VP Deng Taihua. It is backed by Tencent, HongShan, Hillhouse, BYD and LG Electronics. Independent trackers including Omdia and IDC place it No. 1 worldwide for humanoid robot shipments. The 10,000th machine came off the line in March. The 15,000th followed in June.

That last number is the one I keep returning to. Fifteen thousand units is not a research programme. It is a supply chain.

What Actually Showed Up

The machines that arrived in our warehouse are G2s: a humanoid upper body — two seven-axis force-controlled arms, a three-axis waist — on an omnidirectional wheeled base, with hot-swappable batteries for round-the-clock shifts. It is built for precision assembly and logistics work, and for holding a conversation at a reception desk. The Berlin stand will show more of the range than that alone.

The Honest Design Choice

The wheels are the honest part of the design. A biped that climbs stairs makes the better video. A wheeled base that runs 24/7 across flat industrial floors makes the better business case today. We have a compact biped in the office as well, and it stops every visitor in the doorway — but the wheeled units are the ones I would put on a shift roster this year. Right now the value sits in arms that can feel what they are holding.

Why Distribution Matters Here

This is also where distribution stops being a footnote. A robot at this level is not a box that ships and disappears. It needs service, spare parts, integration support and someone accountable in the same time zone. That is the work we are taking on, and it is the reason a company builds a partner network before it builds a hype cycle.

See It at IFA Berlin

IFA Berlin, 4–8 September, Messe Berlin. Hall 25, Booth 371 — Hall 25 is IFA Next, where this year's humanoid line-up is concentrated. AGIBOT is also part of the Robots on the Runway showcase on 5 September.

If you are a retailer, integrator or partner: come and stand in front of one. Ten minutes next to a working machine will tell you more than any spec sheet I could send.

The demo era is ending. Come and see what ships.