Guangzhou-based Chinese technology firm Kaiwa Technology plans to unveil a humanoid robot equipped with an artificial womb in the abdominal area by 2026. The device is designed to carry a fetus through a full-term pregnancy and subsequent childbirth, reports Chosun Biz.
The cost of the device will be under 100,000 yuan (approximately $13,900). Developers present it as an alternative to traditional pregnancy for those wishing to avoid the physical demands and restrictions associated with it.
Kaiwa Technology’s founder, Zhang Qifeng, emphasized that this is not merely an incubator but a full-sized humanoid with an artificial womb, capable of replicating the entire process from conception to childbirth.
The company head claims the technology has already been tested in laboratories and now needs to be integrated into the robot.
The key innovation is the artificial womb, which replicates the natural pregnancy process. The child develops in amniotic fluid and receives nutrition through a tube.
Qifeng noted that the technology has already shown significant results in animal experiments. In 2017, researchers at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia successfully grew a premature lamb equivalent to 23 weeks of human pregnancy.
Zhang did not disclose details regarding the fertilization and implantation process.
Regarding ethical and legal aspects, he mentioned that developers have already discussed the project with authorities in Guangdong province. Relevant proposals have been submitted within the framework of current legislative initiatives.
In April, the first child was born, conceived using an automated system for intracytoplasmic sperm injection with digital control.