HIVA Haiwa

The HIVA Haiwa, also known as 'HIVA 海娃', is a cutting-edge wheeled humanoid robot developed by Haier Group in collaboration with Beijing Xingdong Jiyuan Technology Co., Ltd. (potentially based on RobotEra's Q5 platform). Unveiled on July 26, 2025, at the AWE 2025 China Appliance and Consumer Electronics Expo, it stands at 165 cm tall, weighs 70 kg, and is positioned as the ultimate 'Housework Terminator' for smart home environments. This prototype robot is engineered for domestic assistance, targeting chores such as floor cleaning, cooking, laundry management, ironing, folding clothes, and operating Haier smart appliances, serving Haier's 1 billion global users. Architecturally, HIVA Haiwa features a stable wheeled mobile base for efficient, fall-resistant navigation in cluttered indoor spaces, achieving max speeds of 4 km/h (walking equivalent 2.5 km/h). It boasts 44 degrees of freedom overall, with 12 DOF in each dexterous 5-finger hand, enabling human-like reach from ground level to 2 meters high and payloads of 3-5 kg per arm. The frame is constructed from lightweight aluminum alloy, driven by electric servo motors paired with harmonic and planetary gears for precise control. Performance metrics include a manipulation score of 3/5 (capable of folding clothes, filling dishwashers) and navigation score of 2/5 (basic obstacle avoidance). On the AI front, the robot operates in a Linux-based ROS environment with an embedded CPU and dedicated AI accelerator. Current demonstrations rely on remote teleoperation by engineers to collect vast datasets for machine learning, focusing on sensor fusion, perception, and real-time decision-making. Sensors encompass machine vision cameras for object recognition, tactile feedback, IMUs for balance, and force/torque sensors in grippers for delicate handling of fabrics and utensils. Connectivity via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Haier Smart Home Network allows seamless integration with appliances like washers, ovens, hobs, fridges, and irons. LLM integration is feasible externally, with glass-to-action latency of 250-450 ms. Future autonomy will leverage cloud-assisted AI trained on teleop data, evolving from supervised learning to independent task execution. Deployment history remains in prototype phase as of December 2025. By September 10, 2025, Haier announced the product form had 'basically matured,' with plans for gradual rollout to B-end (business) and C-end (consumer) markets pending full technological and safety validation. It has been showcased at events like the Qingdao Asia-Pacific Expo, demonstrating tasks such as mopping with floor washers, retrieving/mixing ingredients, removing laundry, ironing/folding/storing clothes, and pet assistance. No commercial deployments yet; emphasis is on data accumulation for refinement. Priced around $80,000 (estimated), with 1-hour runtime per charge and IP20 ingress protection, HIVA Haiwa prioritizes safety around humans and adaptability for elderly or busy households, marking Haier's push into embodied AI for consumer robotics amid China's humanoid boom.