Chinese manufacturers accounted for 95 percent of around 20,000 humanoids shipped globally last year. Early applications are emerging, including robots working in pharmacies, while proponents say large-scale training could accelerate innovation and improve capabilities.

Credits: envato elements;

Galbot is deploying robots in pharmacies across more than two dozen Chinese cities to help address staffing constraints and medicine-delivery demand. Its robots can select and prepare products in around one minute, with the company reporting success rates above 95 percent. Elsewhere, humanoids are being trained for factory work, while investment is expanding the infrastructure needed to improve their physical intelligence.