The idea that a humanoid robot could build an airplane may sound far-fetched, but a new deal between European aviation giant Airbus and Chinese robotics specialist UBTech suggests such a scenario could be possible.
Airbus’ deal with UBTech involves the company’s Walker S2 humanoid robot, Bloomberg reported on Monday.
Details are few at the moment, but Airbus is reportedly interested in exploring the idea of ​​putting the humanoid robot on the assembly line, likely to assist human workers in building new aircraft.
UBTech introduced the Walker S2 in 2024. The bipedal bot stands 69.3 inches (176 centimeters) tall, supports AI-powered voice interaction via built-in microphones and speakers, and has highly dexterous hands with 11 degrees of freedom. The Walker S2 can even swap out its own battery when it needs fresh juice, allowing it to work 24/7 when needed.
Sophisticated robots have, of course, been part of assembly lines for decades, but the humanoid variety could bring additional benefits due to their dexterity and adaptability, including the ability to switch tasks with little or no intervention. The robots can also be integrated into most work environments without costly retrofits.
Although humanoid robots have definitely made remarkable progress in recent years, it is still not clear how ready they are to perform meaningful tasks in complex industrial environments. However, Airbus’ deal with UBTech certainly shows a belief that such robots can be beneficial to the workplace.
We have reached out to Airbus for further details on the planned deployment of the Walker S2 and will update this article as soon as we hear back.
We recently saw the Walker S2 show off its skills on a tennis court by expertly hitting a ball with a human partner, an impressive demonstration of its technological prowess.
Shenzhen-based UBTech, which was founded in 2012, took orders worth about $200 million from a number of customers last year and plans to produce up to 10,000 of its Walker S2 robots in 2026.
UBTech’s Airbus deal follows a similar deal last month with American semiconductor maker Texas Instruments, as the robotics company seeks global expansion in a fast-growing sector that is expected to become even more competitive in 2026.
