In a landmark move that signals China’s growing dominance in the field of artificial intelligence and robotics, the country has launched its first-ever large-scale humanoid robot training hub in Shanghai. Officially named the National and Local Co-built Humanoid Robotics Innovation Center, this state-of-the-art facility spans over 5,000 square meters in the city’s Zhangjiang district and is slated to become fully operational by July.
The center is envisioned as a national catalyst for humanoid robotics innovation, with plans to train over 100 distinct robot models developed by more than a dozen companies. At its core, the facility aims to solve a fundamental challenge in humanoid robotics: how to collect and utilize large-scale, diverse datasets for training robots across multiple real-world scenarios.
A Data Powerhouse for Embodied AI
According to Xu Bin, the general manager of the center, the facility is designed to foster shared technologies and application-driven ecosystems that advance humanoid robot development. Given that robots from different manufacturers differ in both hardware design and software architecture, the datasets they generate are often incompatible. This hub, therefore, seeks to unify and standardize data collection to benefit the entire industry.
“We established the center to enable large-scale data sharing and utilization, empowering the entire industry,” Xu was quoted by Global Times.
Currently in a testing phase, the center is generating 20,000 to 30,000 motion data entries daily. Once in full swing, it expects to surpass 50,000 daily entries, with a bold goal of reaching over 10 million real-machine data entries within the first year.
Teaching Robots to Think and Move Like Humans
In its initial training phase, robots at the center are being taught 45 fundamental "atomic" skills—including grasping, placing, lifting, and transporting objects—by observing and replicating human movements. Human trainers perform each task hundreds of times a day while sensors capture the smallest variations in motion and environment. This process creates nuanced datasets that help robots become more adaptive and precise in real-world scenarios.
As Yang Zhengye, director of market systems at the center, explains, “The goal is to use repeated motion data to develop autonomous decision-making in robots, allowing them to handle slight changes in object shape, angle, or position.”
The center’s training simulations are tailored to 10 major application scenarios such as:
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Industrial assembly
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Domestic chores (e.g., folding laundry)
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Medical support
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Tourism and hospitality services
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High-risk operations like cleaning heavy machinery
Building Toward a Universal “Super Brain”
A major long-term goal of the hub is to build a general-purpose “super brain” model—a unified intelligence layer that can guide robots across industries and manufacturers. This model would allow for cross-company collaboration, shared learning, and multi-robot communication, pushing the boundaries of embodied intelligence.
“In the future, data from heterogeneous humanoid robots will form the foundation for a universal intelligence model, enabling collaborative upgrades and scenario adaptability,” Yang noted.
Such a foundation could significantly reduce R&D costs, speed up product development, and elevate the capabilities of humanoid robots in fields ranging from healthcare to logistics.
A Step Closer to China’s AI Ambitions
China’s massive investment in humanoid robotics is part of a broader national push into AI and automation. By centralizing resources and fostering inter-company cooperation, this training center represents a pivotal step toward AI-powered societal transformation.
From folding shirts to assisting in hospitals or navigating dangerous industrial zones, China’s humanoid robots are being primed not just to mimic human actions—but to think, adapt, and evolve.
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