Honor confirmed its entry into the robotics sector, a move it stated further expands an ambition to evolve from a smartphone manufacturer into a broader AI device ecosystem company.
In a statement, the Chinese vendor announced it has collaborated with robotics company Unitree on developing a robot, trained on Honor’s in-house AI algorithm.
The robot has apparently already broken the record for a humanoid robot running speed, reaching a top speed of 4 metres per second.
The company also revealed it launched a new industry incubation department in April to lead efforts into robotics, with a spotlight on humanoid machines. While the company vies to develop in-house robots, it also outlined plans to strike partnerships across the value chain “to create an open ecosystem that enables seamless AI”.
The latest move forms part of Honor’s Alpha Plan, a five-year AI push unveiled by CEO James Li in March, which includes a $10 billion investment into the technology.
Honor follows in the footsteps of Chinese vendors including Xiaomi, which ventured into electric vehicles and smart factory solutions, and Oppo, which committed to developing and integrating a proprietary AI agent across its product lines.
The developments come as China races ahead in the humanoid robotics space; last month, a robot half-marathon in Beijing saw 21 humanoid machines compete, though only a few completed the race. In addition, Bloomberg reported Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has also highlighted the sector’s potential, calling it a future trillion-dollar industry driven by demand in warehouses and manufacturing facilities.