Chinese Robots to Patrol Vietnam Border

UBTech Robotics secured a major contract to supply humanoids to border checkpoints.

UBTech Robotics, a leading Chinese robot manufacturer, has secured a significant contract to supply humanoid robots to border checkpoints. These robots will assist travelers, conduct inspections, and manage logistics, according to SCMP.

The company signed a $37 million agreement with the humanoid robotics center in Fangchenggang, a coastal city in the southern autonomous region of Guangxi, which borders Vietnam.

The project will utilize the Walker S2 model, unveiled in July. UBTech describes it as the world’s first robot capable of autonomously replacing its battery.

The pilot initiative involves deploying robots at the border to assist in traveler orientation, crowd management, patrolling, logistics operations, and providing commercial services.

Additionally, the robots will conduct inspections at production facilities for steel, copper, and aluminum.

UBTech reported that total orders for the Walker series have reached $155 million. Deliveries began in November. The company plans to ship 500 industrial robots by the end of the year and increase the number to 10,000 by 2027.

China Bets on Robots

With government-backed programs, China’s robotics sector is rapidly developing. Corporate clients and provincial authorities are increasingly integrating robots into everyday processes.

In July, the Immigration Department of Zhejiang province in eastern China reported the use of humanoid and quadruped robots for “performing repetitive and tedious daily tasks.”

Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport has also employed androids for routine operations such as answering passenger inquiries.

During the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit held in 2025 in the northern port city of Tianjin, immigration authorities deployed a multilingual robot from Beijing-based iBen Intelligence.

Patrol police robots have been spotted on the streets of Shenzhen, Shanghai, and Chengdu. They are frequently showcased in Chinese media as a symbol of the burgeoning embodied artificial intelligence industry.

Various robot competitions are actively held in China:

• In April, robots ran a half-marathon alongside humans;
• In August, three-day competitions were held in football, martial arts, jumping, and other disciplines;
• In May, the first combat tournament in Muay Thai style took place.

Earlier, Guangzhou-based tech company Kaiwa Technology planned to release a humanoid robot with an artificial womb in the abdomen for childbearing.

Previously, UBTech Robotics introduced a humanoid bot priced at 299,000 yuan ($41,200).