South Korea’s WIRobotics has introduced ALLEX, a general-purpose humanoid robot equipped with low-friction, back-drivable arms and human-like hands. Each hand offers 15 degrees of freedom, can lift more than 30 kilograms and exerts over 40 newtons of force at the fingertips, enabling delicate as well as heavy-duty tasks. In a separate move, China’s Unitree Robotics released a teaser poster for its next-generation humanoid, disclosing a 31-joint design and a height of about 180 centimetres. The company, which has become one of China’s most prominent robotics developers, said further details will follow, underscoring its intent to broaden its product line beyond the entry-level R1 model priced around €5,000. The announcements come as Beijing steps up efforts to mainstream the technology. The capital’s four-storey Robot Mall, opened on 8 August ahead of the World Humanoid Robot Games, showcases consumer and industrial humanoids and signals China’s ambition to scale production and lower prices through mass manufacturing. Taken together, the unveiling of ALLEX and Unitree’s forthcoming model highlight an intensifying Asian contest to commercialise humanoid robots, with companies betting that advances in mechanics and artificial intelligence will unlock large industrial and household markets within the next few years.