Chinese robot Walker S2 changes its own battery

While Elon Musk still firmly believes that the humanoid robot Optimus will one day bring Tesla billions in revenue, the competition is rapidly intensifying. The new industrial robot Walker S2 from Chinese company UBTech Robotics stands out. The Walker S2 is the latest humanoid robot for industry, comparable to Tesla's second-generation Optimus.

The novelty actually has 11 degrees of freedom in its hands, which allows it to precisely manipulate fragile or complex objects - similar to Optimus. The new robot can move at a speed of 2 meters per second, bend or crouch deeply at an angle of up to 170°, and rotate its torso by 162°. With artificial intelligence based on a large language model, it also enables voice control and interaction with humans.

Where the Walker S2 beats the Optimus, however, is in its 24/7 autonomy. While the Optimus can plug itself into a charger, the Walker S2 can automatically swap its battery at a dedicated station and resume operation in just three minutes. The concept is borrowed from the rapidly growing EV market in China, where companies like NIO are performing more than 100,000 battery swaps per day, with a total of more than 80 million. Their “battery-as-a-service” model enables faster vehicle deployment and lower prices.

UBTech has taken this approach to the world of robotics, effectively creating the world's first humanoid robot with the ability to automatically change batteries. The result? 24/7 operation and a serious threat to Tesla's robotic dominance.