Making heart gestures, giving thumbs-up, delivering product briefings, guiding customers… At this year’s Shanghai Auto Show, a group of special “show models” stole the spotlight. Unlike traditional human brand ambassadors, these humanoid robots take on multiple roles: they wave, hold conversations, and can even squat down to take a rest. The 2025 Shanghai Auto Show closed yesterday after a 10-day run, and the robots gained invaluable insights from their stint working the exhibition floor. Driven by real-world scenarios, their iterative upgrade cycle is accelerating rapidly.

A Premier Training Ground Drawing 100,000 Visitors Daily

“Let’s throw a peace sign,” a young visitor joked with the A2 service humanoid robot by Agibot on the Roewe booth. The Yuanzheng A2 robot cheerfully made a V-sign and replied, “Sure thing, peace out!”

“May I shake hands with you?” A Japanese visitor interacted with the robot via an interpreter. “Absolutely, here’s my hand,” the robot’s witty remark amused the surrounding crowd.

“Can you cook scrambled eggs with tomatoes?” A foreign guest asked in mixed Chinese and English. The star “sales bot” replied smartly: “I cannot cook yet, but I know everything about Roewe vehicles and can walk you through our full lineup.”

Faced with all kinds of unexpected questions from attendees, Agibot remains confident about its robots’ performance — this hands-on real-world exposure is an inevitable step toward general artificial intelligence for humanoid machines. Their development follows the scaling law: larger datasets and richer user feedback yield far better model training results. Drawing over 100,000 visitors per day, the Shanghai Auto Show served as an unparalleled live training venue.

Prior to the auto show debut, Agibot’s humanoids had already accumulated 10 months of experience in automotive retail. Last July, the Yuanzheng A2 was deployed at a Yongda Auto 4S store in Pudong, Shanghai, racking up extensive real customer interaction data. For this exhibition, more than a dozen A2 units were stationed at booths of SAIC Roewe, BAIC, Changan and other major automakers.

Wang Chuang, President of the General Business Division at Agibot Robotics, noted that the robot’s fluent bilingual capabilities enabled smooth communication with international buyers. Thanks to robust preloaded automotive knowledge, it could provide comprehensive parameter comparisons between competing models, delivering an impressive customer experience.

Continuous Growth Through Lead Generation & Visitor Interaction

“We knew they’d attract attention, but the foot traffic far exceeded our expectations,” Roewe staff commented in post-show reviews, speaking highly of the robots’ marketing performance.

Wherever humanoid robots appeared at the show, crowds gathered closely around them. The 1.65-meter-tall Qixiaozhi humanoid hosted the press conference for Hongqi under FAW Group; Xpeng’s 1.78-meter IRON robot appeared onstage alongside He Xiaopeng; Unitree Robotics’ humanoid, acting as a staff member for Deepal Auto, shook hands and chatted with countless visitors.

The massive marketing draw has boosted demand for humanoid robot rental services, with top-tier models fully booked for back-to-back events — some even running multiple shifts in a single day. The world’s first humanoid robot half-marathon held in Beijing not long ago also drew huge crowds.

Not long before the auto show, Fourier Intelligence’s GR-2 robot strolled around Century Park in Shanghai, turning every passerby’s head. It wandered along the lakeside, pausing frequently to wave to onlookers with full celebrity charisma. “The GR-2 can travel at 5 kilometers per hour, nearly 100 meters every minute. We intentionally slowed its pace to ensure visitor safety,” a Fourier representative explained. The robot is equipped with self-stabilization logic, allowing it to regain balance quickly and resume walking if bumped by people.

“Providing emotional value to humans is a core skill robots need to master,” Wang Chuang said. Agibot’s robots can now throw peace signs, make heart gestures, dance and deliver varied warm compliments. Based on user feedback collected at the auto show, the team will refine the robots’ interactions to be softer and more natural.

Giving Robots Time to Evolve

Many visitors voiced mild disappointment: “I’ve seen footage of these robots pulling backflips, side flips and 720-degree spinning kicks, but none of those stunts appeared at the show.” During the exhibition, humanoid robots mostly performed basic movements including walking, waving and handshakes, with simple dance routines as their only performance highlights. At the Deepal booth, Unitree G1 drew loud cheers just by squatting naturally after a session of interactions; some visitors even joked that it deserved overtime pay.

As audiences grow more accustomed to humanoid robots, their expectations for smooth, complex interactions keep rising. Wang Hongwu, Director of the Robotics & Core Components R&D Center at the 21st Research Institute of CETC, revealed that the institute will launch a side-flip-capable robot next month. Backflips rely on two-foot balance and stability control, while side flips demand explosive power from a single leg. Executing advanced athletic moves requires seamless coordination between the robot’s “AI brain” and mechanical limbs: the system must translate sensory input into precise motor signals, enabling high jumps, stable gripping and steady locomotion all at once.

Gu Jie, Founder and CEO of Fourier Intelligence, calls on the public to be patient with robotic evolution. “Twenty years ago, no one imagined cellphones would evolve into full touchscreen devices. No one can fully predict the future of humanoid robots. Beyond sight and hearing, they will one day gain tactile perception. Iterative upgrades demand heavy investment and sufficient time.”

After the Shanghai Auto Show, humanoid robots are set to enter a new round of iterative optimization. Major robotics firms are already planning deployments across diverse real-world scenarios: domestic housekeeping, elderly care, education, medical assistance, facility inspection, emergency rescue and disaster relief.

Original Title

Back from Duty at the Shanghai Auto Show: What Humanoid Robots Have Learned

Editorial Supervisor

Ren Quan

Author

Shen Qiusha, Wenhui Daily

Image Credit

All photos unless otherwise credited are provided by Agibot Robotics