BEIJING — It was not even close as a bright red Chinese humanoid named “Lightning” lived up to its name in a half-marathon pitting humans against robots, smoking its competition on Sunday

Mercedes-Benz has partnered with robotics firm Apptronik to explore using humanoid robots in its manufacturing plants. A Mercedes-Benz executive believes the current technology is too slow and lacks the flexibility required for vehicle production.

Somewhere in China, a humanoid robot reportedly stands in a private living room rather than on a trade-show stage. UniX AI announced on April 12, 2026, that its Panther service robot had begun what the company calls the first real-home deployment of a mass-produced humanoid.

A humanoid robot known as Edward Warchocki was caught on video chasing a group of wild boars off a Warsaw street, creating a surreal moment that has quickly spread online.

HONG KONG (AP) — A humanoid robot about the size of a primary school student had something to share in Hong Kong — it sang songs and spoke to people in Mandarin and English, answering whatever questions they posed and delighting the audience around it.

A paddle-wielding robot is so adept at playing table tennis that it is posing a tough challenge to elite human players and sometimes defeating them, according to a new study in the journal Nature that shows how advances in artificial intelligence are making robots more agile.