In China, it’s evidently less taboo to build humanoid replicas of living people – including deceased relatives – than it is to build sex robots. UBTech launched the world’s first walking life-like, life-size, realistic humanoid robots intended for home consumers. Named the UWORLD U1 series, the “ultra-bionic” humanoids are designed explicitly for emotional companionship, but the CEO stops short of referring to them as sex robots. Their exteriors are made of lifelike silicone skin, with realistic details such as pores, veins, and hair. Whilst it’s not known if either the male or female versions showcased have sexual organs downstairs, the female certainly appears to have breasts.
The decision to market the U1 humanoids as companions rather than sex robots may be due to a controversial feature announced by UBTech. The company highlighted during the launch that the humanoids could be customized through the use of 3D facial reconstruction and voiceprint technology to mimic specific people – including deceased loved ones. Custom-made 3D printed sex dolls made to look like a real person upon the request of a buyer has long been a thing in China. With general laws against the spread of “deepfakes” already in place in the country, as well as porn itself being illegal, China does not seem to have experienced the moral panics over deepfake porn that other countries have experienced.
The historic launch of the world’s first true life-like humanoids took place in Shenzen, China, and a TechRadar journalist appears to have been in attendance. He wasn’t completely blown away, though.
“This new humanoid robot features silicon skin, a lifelike face with eyes that follow you, lashes that blink coquettishly (ick), and 88 degrees of freedom across its full-sized robotic body. It even has what UBTech calls a “dual-pivot biomimetic cervical spine,” which apparently gives it more human-like movements.
UBTech unveiled the robots earlier this week at a splashy launch event in Shenzhen, China. There are three models in the Series: the U1 Lite semi-torso edition, the high-performance full-body U1 Pro, and the high-dynamic full-body U1 Ultra.
During the launch on June 30, 2026, several UWorld U1 Ultra humanoids walked the stage, interspersed with actual humans. The idea, I think, was to confuse the viewer so they might not know which was which. In truth, the robots all looked a little plastic, or like characters straight out of your favorite anime, and they walked somewhat awkwardly.”
Each humanoid robot performed a dance with its human partner. Whilst the movements, both when walking and dancing, were somewhat janky and it was obvious who was human and who was the humanoid, it’s still a historic moment in the evolution of sex robots, humanoid companions, or whatever we are allowed to call them.
Pricing, Model Variants, and Availability
The UWORLD U1 series launched with three distinct models, available in male and female variants, at a wide range of price points.
| Model | Form Factor | Price (RMB) | Price (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| U1 Lite | Semi-torso | 119,800 | ~$16,700 |
| U1 Pro | Full-body | 169,800 | ~$23,400 |
| U1 Ultra | High-Dynamic Full-body (Female) | 880,000 | ~$121,400 |
| U1 Ultra | High-Dynamic Full-body (Male) | 990,000 | ~$136,500 |
The product is currently available for order in the Chinese market. There has been no official announcement regarding international distribution or pricing.
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