To give you an idea of ​​the level humanoid robots have reached in China, the Expedition A3—developed by the Chinese company AgiBot—has even become the star of a popular series in the country. The robot stands approximately 1.73 meters tall but weighs just 55 kg. Thanks to its magnesium alloy structure, its body features 31 motorized joints driven by permanent-magnet synchronous motors developed in-house by the company.

At the knee joints, these actuators reach peak torque of approximately 320 Nm, enabling the execution of kicks, jumps, spins, and rapid movements typical of martial arts with far greater fluidity than previous generations of humanoids. To achieve this level of mobility, engineers made some interesting choices: rather than equipping the robots with heavy sensors—such as industrial-grade LiDAR systems and 3D cameras—they prioritized a simpler, lighter architecture.

The hands feature a silicone coating and 12 degrees of freedom—enough to create expressive gestures—while a head-mounted screen displays facial expressions that make the interaction far more convincing. The system also employs multiple microphones capable of identifying nearby voices without relying on specific commands to initiate a conversation.

Another noteworthy aspect concerns its operation: the Expedition A3 was designed for easy transport. It can partially fold its body to fit into a compact, wheeled case, allows for battery swaps in just seconds, and offers up to 10 hours of runtime. Furthermore, it utilizes ultra-wideband positioning, enabling the synchronization of groups of up to 100 robots for coordinated performances.

Yes, folks—things are moving very fast.