Walker S1

The UBTECH Walker S1 is an advanced industrial humanoid robot, standing at 172 cm tall and weighing 76 kg, designed to address generalization challenges in manufacturing environments. Released in 2024 as part of UBTECH's Walker S series, it represents a milestone in embodied intelligence, leveraging the company's full-stack humanoid robotics technologies. Architecturally, Walker S1 integrates a sophisticated AI stack featuring a Large Language Model (LLM) for general task planning, enabling superior intention understanding and autonomous task decomposition. This is complemented by a Transformer-based sub-brain for multi-robot coordination and cross-field perception, as demonstrated in swarm intelligence deployments. Navigation relies on Semantic VSLAM, a tightly coupled fusion of semantic perception and traditional Visual Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (VSLAM), facilitating robust spatial understanding in dynamic, variably lit industrial settings through a two-stage process. Motion control employs an end-to-end learning-based whole-body framework that unifies perception and actuation, delivering dexterous manipulation and stable bipedal locomotion. With 41 degrees of freedom (DOF), including self-developed 3rd-generation dexterous hands with 6 active DOF per hand equipped with array tactile pressure sensors, the robot excels in high-load, non-structured tasks. It supports payloads up to 16.3 kg in dynamic conditions, as shown in treadmill parcel-handling demos, and achieves walking speeds of 3-5 km/h. The system addresses key industrial pain points: visual positioning under varying lighting, motion stability under dynamic loads, and joint thermal management for prolonged high-load operations. Real-world deployments underscore its maturity. In October 2024, Walker S1 entered BYD's factory, pioneering the world's first one-stop autonomous logistics application for humanoid robots, handling parcel tote operations in coordination with AMRs/AGVs and smart manufacturing systems. By early 2025, it expanded to Zeekr (Geely Auto) EV factory, utilizing BrainNet technology for swarm intelligence—multiple S1 units collaboratively sorting, inspecting, and assembling via shared learning. Further trials at FAW-Volkswagen, NIO, Dongfeng Liuzhou, and reportedly Audi plants involved quality inspections, screw tightening, part assembly, fluid filling, emblem application, and glass adhesive dispensing, achieving >99% accuracy in visual inspections. In April 2025, People's Daily reported multi-robot, multi-task, multi-scenario collaborations, reducing repetitive labor and injury risks. By late 2025, UBTECH reported mass training across automotive lines, positioning S1 as a precursor to broader commercialization. Runtime per charge is approximately 2 hours under continuous operation, with ongoing enhancements in battery and thermal systems paving the way for 24/7 deployment. Walker S1's architecture emphasizes scalability, with simulation platforms aiding rapid iteration, marking UBTECH's leadership in industrial humanoid adoption.