Airbus orders Chinese robots to produce aircraft

Theo Bloombergthe order between Airbus SE and UBTech is “worth hundreds of thousands of dollars”. However, details of the contract between the Shenzhen robot company (China) and the French-based aircraft company were not disclosed.

UBTech later confirmed Airbus SE had ordered the Walker S2 for use at production plants, but did not disclose details on the terms. Airbus did not comment.

UBTech’s Walker S2 is 176 cm tall, weighs 70 kg and has a moving speed of 7.2 km/h. This humanoid robot is said to have dexterous hands with 11 degrees of freedom and tactile sensors, and can hold 7.5 kg in each hand and lift one kg with just one finger. According to TechCrunch, this is a different factor compared to most existing humanoid robots, helping the machine work best in factory assembly environments.

Besides, Walker S2 also has the ability to replace the battery without turning off the device – the first humanoid robot with this ability. The robot is also useful in manufacturing environments as it can rotate its waist nearly 180 degrees, allowing for quick movement to parts or work areas without changing leg position. In addition, on the back of the robot there is an emergency stop button and an external power switch.

Previously, UBTech’s robots were applied at the Texas Instruments factory for semiconductor production, as well as a number of factories and workshops in China. UBTech said that as of November 2025, the company had sold 112 million USD worth of humanoid robots and has total orders exceeding 201 million USD by the end of 2025.

According to Omdia, UBTech is a humanoid robot company with the third largest robot production volume in the world after Agibot and Unitree – also two Chinese enterprises. Last weekend, the Shenzhen-based company announced it aims to reach a production capacity of 5,000 units this year and 10,000 units in 2027.