UBTech Robotics has unveiled its latest humanoid robot, Walker S2, which can autonomously replace its own depleted battery pack – allowing near‑continuous operation around the clock – without requiring human assistance or interruption. (See video below.)
A new era of uninterrupted robotic operation
Walker S2 uses a dual‑battery system comprising two 48 V lithium‑ion packs. When one battery nears depletion – typically after around two hours walking or four hours standing – the robot automatically navigates to a dedicated charging pod, removes the used battery, places it in the charging slot, and installs a fresh module in under three minutes.
A backup battery simultaneously ensures the robot never powers down.
Design for real‑world industrial use
Standing approximately 160 cm (5 ft 3 in) tall and weighing around 43 kg (95 lb), Walker S2 is engineered to fit seamlessly into human-designed workspaces. It features 20 degrees of freedom, Wi‑Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, and on‑board intelligent energy management software that decides between battery swap or plug‑in charging based on the urgency of tasks.
Trials with major auto manufacturers
UBTech says Walker S2 builds on earlier pilots of its Walker S series in smart factories run by Nio, BYD, and Zeekr. These trials demonstrated that humanoid robots like Walker S1 boosted sorting efficiency and minimized labor costs. Walker S2 is now positioned to deliver true 24/7 operational autonomy in industrial and logistics settings.
Strategic vision and next steps
This breakthrough reflects China’s aggressive push into robotics and AI under its industrial modernization policies. UBTech, which launched on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in December 2023, aims to scale up Walker S2 deployment across multiple sectors including factory automation, warehousing, and even hospitality and healthcare logistics.
The video shows Walker S2 walking to its station, rotating its torso, extracting and stowing the old battery, retrieving a charged module, and resuming activity seamlessly – all in a fully automated 3‑minute cycle.
