Chinese humanoid robot: who makes it and what reaches the EU

A Chinese humanoid robot can be a product with a price list, spare parts and CE marking, or a prototype seen at a trade fair. The country of manufacture matters less than what the supplier puts in writing on conformity, support and updates. Five manufacturers are enough to compare what they declare and what you need to buy in Europe.

General information, not legal advice. A robot's conformity depends on its configuration, intended use and how it is placed on the market: a specific case needs a dedicated assessment.

The map: who makes Chinese humanoid robots

The specifications in the table are those declared by the manufacturer, not independent measurements. They help to understand the product band, not to replace a test.

Unitree publishes data sheets with height, weight, degrees of freedom and warranty; for buyers in the United Kingdom, Ireland and internationally the euro price list is Abra's. The company history and the full range are in the profile on Unitree Robotics. UBTech declares mass production and delivery of the Walker S2, but the page does not give a European price. AgiBot states on the A2 Ultra page that it has obtained certifications for China, the United States and Europe. Fourier publishes the GR-3 specifications in a technical documentation centre. EngineAI publishes low-level interfaces and repositories for training and deployment.

How much a Chinese humanoid robot costs in Europe

For Unitree the prices are public in Abra's price list, in euros and excluding VAT. Each family's range takes the lowest and highest price on the list; the "entry version" column shows the first complete model, not the torso.

End-User prices, excluding VAT. Shipping is quoted in the offer; VAT and duties are as described on the country page. For R1 and H2 the family minimum is a torso without legs: R1-A5 Standard for R1, H2-A Standard A for H2. The R1 Air is a 123 cm biped with 20 degrees of freedom, controlled from an app and a remote control, and has no SDK. The G1 Air is 132 cm tall, has 23 degrees of freedom, declares about 2 kg maximum arm payload and has no SDK: programming it requires an EDU version. The H2 Air is the full-size model at 182 cm and 31 degrees of freedom, but custom software development (SDK) and the dexterous hands belong to the H2 EDU. The complete versions are on the R1, G1 and H2 pages. The detail on what pushes the price up is in humanoid robot price.

For UBTech, AgiBot, Fourier and EngineAI we do not report prices: the official pages consulted do not have a European price list. A price in yuan or a "quote on request" is not a purchase price in the EU. A public price list is not mandatory: a product can arrive through importers or integrators. Without a price, importer and declaration, however, there is no way to verify it from outside.

Where to buy: a product you can purchase or a demo

Before signing, check that the model you are buying is already ready for the European market. Six checks.

• CE marking and EU declaration of conformity. The CE mark is not a quality badge or an EU approval: it is the manufacturer's declaration that the product complies with the applicable rules. For a machine you need a conformity assessment, a technical file and an EU declaration, as the European Commission explains.
• Identified importer. The importer places the robot on the EU market and must check that the manufacturer has carried out the assessment, that the EU declaration and technical documentation are available and that contact with the manufacturer is possible.
• Complete price and delivery. Price in euros, VAT, transport, duty, delivery times and Incoterms written in the offer.
• Written warranty. Duration, what it covers, who intervenes and how quickly. A "factory" warranty without conditions cannot be verified.
• Spare parts. Part numbers, availability and lead times. A robot without spare parts is a demo that lasts until the first failure.
• Firmware and SDK. Who updates it, how often, whether the internet is needed and where the data goes. If the project requires your own code, the version must be the open one.

A unit brought to a trade fair may be a one-off, with demonstration software and without the configuration that will be delivered. The model in the video is not necessarily the one you buy: ask for the serial number, the exact configuration and the declaration of conformity referring to that number.

Abra Robotics supplies the Unitree range in the United Kingdom, Ireland and internationally, with support in English, a public price list and spare parts in the catalogue. For the other brands, the importer and who is responsible for the warranty still need to be verified.

Warranty, spare parts and firmware: the Unitree figures

The official Unitree data sheets give different warranties by model: 6 months for R1 Air, 8 months for R1, 12 months for R1 EDU; 8 months for G1 and 18 months for G1 EDU; 8 months for H2 and 12 months for H2 EDU. These are commercial terms declared by the manufacturer, to be read in the warranty booklet together with the clauses of the sales contract.

The price list includes original Unitree parts for the G1: battery, main control board and foot sole. For a laboratory that uses the robot every day, a failure without a spare part stops work.

On firmware, the R1, G1 and H2 declare OTA updates. Before connecting the robot to the corporate network, it is worth deciding whether updates come over the internet or from an offline package, who has access and which documentation is archived with each version. For the other brands, on the pages consulted the commercial warranty period is not published: it must be requested in writing together with the maintenance plan.

CE and the Machinery Regulation 2023/1230 from 20 January 2027

A humanoid used in a company for a production task may fall within the definition of machinery. Today the reference is Directive 2006/42/EC; from 20 January 2027 Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 becomes mandatory, and it applies directly in all Member States. The European Commission page states that it applies from 20 January 2027.

The regulation adds requirements for safety functions based on artificial intelligence and for the cybersecurity of relevant software, updates the conformity assessment for higher-risk machinery and clarifies when instructions and the declaration can be provided in digital format. The obligations concern manufacturer, importer and distributor, not only whoever designs the robot.

The European Commission states that machinery placed on the market before 20 January 2027 must comply with Directive 2006/42/EC; the regulation applies mandatorily from that date. The directive also applies when an existing machine is modified to the point of becoming a new machine: this is the point to clarify before changing a controller or an end effector.

The European Commission also recalls that voluntary certificates are not a recognised means of demonstrating conformity. For a buyer the practical question is this: does the EU declaration I receive cover the configuration I am buying, with the hands and accessories fitted? If the answer is "we will add it later", the product is not ready for purchase.

Which one to look at first

• Limited budget and custom software: R1 EDU, or G1 EDU if you need more payload.
• Adult size and interaction: H2, GR-3 or A2 Ultra. They are different products in price, DoF and target market.
• Research on locomotion and open code: EngineAI PM01 or T800, if the team wants to start from the low-level interfaces.
• Repetitive task and high cycle rate: a cobot or a dedicated cell, not a humanoid. The comparison between the Unitree families is in 2026 humanoid comparison.