Chinese tech firm UBTech officially rolled out the world's first full-size hyper-bionic humanoid robots on Tuesday, marking a leap forward in bringing robots into ordinary households.

The newly unveiled U1 series comes in male and female models, with the male model standing 183 centimeters tall and weighing 42 kilograms, while the female model is 168 cm in height and weighs 35.2 kg. Prices range from 119,800 yuan ($17,647) to 990,000 yuan

The robots, which are mainly intended to serve as companions, have 88 degrees of freedom and can simulate subtle facial expressions, such as blinking, smiling and tilting the head sideways.

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The development marks a milestone for the robotics industry as it brings it a step closer to producing humanoid robots for ordinary household use.

In developing companion robots, emotional interaction as well as hyperreal humanoid design and customization present two major challenges, said Zhou Jian, founder and CEO of UBTech.

“These robots need to follow people’s eyes, interpret their words and moods, and respond with warm interactions that lift people’s spirits. Meanwhile, producing human-like robots that cater to diverse tastes and emotional needs, while maintaining consistent quality for mass delivery, presents a big challenge for manufacturing,” he said at the launch ceremony in Shenzhen on Tuesday.

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The Shenzhen-based company said it has secured over 13,360 orders so far, since the products’ online pre-sales appearance on June 2.

It aims to mass-produce 10,000 or more units of U1 models this year, with delivery set to start on Sept 16.

Contact the writer at sally@chinadailyhk.com