Shanghai-based Ant Lingbo Technology, a subsidiary of Ant Group, has introduced its first humanoid robot, the R1, at the Inclusion Conference in Shanghai. The robot demonstrated its ability to guide visitors, sort medicines, and cook meals during the event.
Reports from Chinese media outlets, including Jiemian.com, Caijing.com, and Bloomberg, describe the R1 as featuring multimodal interaction, environmental perception, and decision-making capabilities. It can identify ingredients and kitchen utensils, and at the conference, it cooked dishes live, drawing significant attention from attendees. Liu Yibo, solution architect at Ant Lingbo Technology, stated the robot can prepare 1,000 recipes, manage dual-burner stoves at once, and complete two dishes in under ten minutes. The R1 is currently in mass production and is being applied in food services, medical health, and tourism sectors.
The robot was previously showcased at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin, where it also demonstrated dining-related functionalities. Exhibition staff noted that the R1 has undergone testing in public spaces such as streets and museums across China.
Ant Lingbo CEO Zhu Xing commented that AI models remain in early development but are expected to revolutionize human-machine interaction. He envisions future humanoid robots in households functioning as advanced assistants with cloud-based AI capabilities.
Unlike competitors like Tesla and Unitree Robotics that primarily focus on hardware, Ant Lingbo emphasizes the robot's brain, powered by its self-developed large language model named BayLing. The company is working to train BayLing using domestically produced Chinese chips to help lower costs.
The Center for China and Globalization highlights that while manufacturing can be outsourced, developing strong and scalable AI models is the key competitive advantage. Insider sources reveal that key R1 components come from Chinese suppliers such as Ti5 Robot for mechanical joint modules and Galaxea AI for chassis systems. Ant Lingbo is also in talks with Hangzhou Unitree Robotics and Orbbec for potential collaboration.
Article translated by Jingyue Hsiao and edited by Joseph Chen
