CtrlK
| Tian Yi 2.0 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Manufacturer | Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center (X-Humanoid) |
| Country of origin | China |
| Year revealed | 2025 |
| Status | Production / Deployed |
| Estimated price | ~$60,000 USD |
| Locomotion | Wheeled (mobile base) |
| AI platform | Wise KaiWu (Huisi Kaiwu) |
| Website | x-humanoid.com |
Tian Yi 2.0 (Chinese: 天轶2.0, also written Tianyi 2.0) is a wheeled humanoid robot developed by the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center, commonly known as X-Humanoid. Unlike the center's bipedal Tiangong/Tien Kung series, which are designed for locomotion across varied terrain, Tian Yi 2.0 combines a humanoid-style upper body for object manipulation and human interaction with a wheeled mobile base optimized for structured indoor environments such as factories, offices, and warehouses. The robot is powered by X-Humanoid's proprietary Wise KaiWu (Huisi Kaiwu) embodied AI platform and is designed for autonomous patrol, inspection, material handling, and service tasks.
Tian Yi 2.0 was showcased at CES 2026 in January alongside the Embodied Tien Kung 2.0 and Tien Kung Ultra, and has been deployed on active production lines at a Foton Cummins engine plant in China. In August 2025, Tian Yi 2.0 units took both first and second place in the material-handling competition at the inaugural World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing.[1][2]
The Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center (formally Beijing Innovation Center of Humanoid Robotics Co., Ltd.) was established on November 2, 2023, in the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, commonly known as Beijing E-Town or Yizhuang.[3] It was jointly founded by four entities: Beijing Jingcheng Machinery Electric Company (28.57% stake), Beijing Xiaomi Robotics Technology (28.57%), UBTECH Robotics (28.57%), and Beijing Yizhuang Robotics Technology Industry Development, a state-owned subsidiary (14.29%).[4] The center's general manager is Xiong Youjun, who also serves as UBTECH's chief technology officer.[4]
The center was the first innovation platform in China dedicated specifically to core humanoid robot technologies, product development, and application ecosystem construction. In October 2024, it was upgraded to the status of a National and Local Co-built Embodied Artificial Intelligence Robotics Innovation Center, receiving support from both the Beijing municipal government and China's central government for research and development in embodied AI and robotics.[5]
In February 2026, X-Humanoid closed its first market-oriented funding round, raising over 700 million yuan (approximately $100 million USD). The round was led by state-linked investors including the Beijing Robotics Industry Development Investment Fund, E-Town Capital, and the Beijing Gaojingjian Industrial Development Investment Fund, with additional participation from TH Capital and strategic investors Baidu and Kyland Technology.[6]
X-Humanoid's product strategy centers on a family of robots rather than a single model. The naming can be complex: "Tiangong" (天工, meaning "Heavenly Craft") and its anglicized form "Tien Kung" refer to the bipedal humanoid series, while "Tian Yi" (天轶) designates the wheeled humanoid platform. Both product lines share the same Wise KaiWu AI platform and many of the same software and perception components.
The bipedal Tiangong series has progressed through several generations:
| Model | Year | Height | Weight | DOF | Top Speed | Key Milestone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tiangong 1.0 | April 2024 | 163 cm | 43 kg | N/A | 12 km/h | World's first full-size purely electric running humanoid |
| Tiangong 2.0 / Tien Kung 2.0 | April 2025 | 170 cm | >45 kg | 20 | 12 km/h | Dual-battery hot-swap; industrial-grade design |
| Tiangong Ultra / Tien Kung Ultra | April 2025 | 180 cm | 52 kg | N/A | 12 km/h | Won world's first humanoid half-marathon (2:40:42); 100m sprint in 21.50 seconds |
| Tiangong 3.0 / Tien Kung 3.0 | February 2026 | 169 cm | 62 kg | 43 | N/A | Industry-first full-body tactile control; parkour capabilities |
The original Tiangong was unveiled on April 27, 2024, at the Zhongguancun Forum in Beijing, billed as the world's first full-size humanoid robot capable of running solely on electric drive.[7] Equipped with 550 TOPS of computing power and a sensor suite including RGB cameras, stereo cameras, LiDAR, ultrasonic rangefinders, high-precision IMU, gyroscopes, and six-axis force/torque sensors, the original Tiangong demonstrated an average speed of 10 km/h and could navigate slopes, stairs, grass, gravel, and sand.[7]
Tian Yi 2.0 complements these bipedal models by targeting use cases where wheeled locomotion is more practical, energy-efficient, and stable, particularly in structured facilities with smooth floors, corridors, and elevators.
Tian Yi 2.0 is a wheel-arm mobile manipulation platform. Its upper body follows a humanoid form factor with a torso, dual articulated arms, dexterous hands with five fingers per hand, and a sensor-equipped head. The lower body replaces legs with a wheeled mobile base, providing efficient and stable navigation across flat indoor surfaces.
This hybrid design reflects a deliberate engineering trade-off. Bipedal locomotion, as demonstrated by the Tiangong series, excels on uneven terrain and in human-scale environments with stairs, but it consumes significantly more energy and requires more complex balancing algorithms. Wheeled locomotion trades terrain versatility for greater energy efficiency, faster travel between task points, higher payload capacity, and simpler validation for routine indoor navigation. For industrial facilities where robots operate on level floors and can use elevators between stories, the wheeled approach provides a more immediately deployable solution.
Tian Yi 2.0 features a total of 35 degrees of freedom distributed across its head, dual arms and hands, waist, and mobile base. This is substantially more than the 20 DOF of the Tien Kung 2.0 bipedal model and approaches the 43 DOF of the newer Tien Kung 3.0, reflecting the emphasis on upper-body dexterity for manipulation tasks.[8]
The robot's sensor suite supports three primary functions: navigation safety, object interaction, and human communication.
| Sensor Category | Components | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Navigation | Depth cameras, LiDAR | Obstacle avoidance, SLAM-based mapping |
| Object interaction | RGBD cameras | Object recognition, grasp planning |
| Thermal imaging | Thermal infrared camera | Equipment temperature monitoring, anomaly detection |
| Visible-light imaging | RGB cameras | Visual patrol, object and person identification |
| Audio | Microphone array | Voice commands, spoken interaction |
| Proprioception | Joint encoders, force sensors | Arm and hand feedback during manipulation |
The combination of visible-light and thermal infrared imaging is particularly important for industrial patrol and inspection tasks, allowing Tian Yi 2.0 to detect overheating equipment, electrical faults, and other thermal anomalies that would be invisible to standard cameras.[1]
For integration into existing industrial and robotics systems, Tian Yi 2.0 supports the following connectivity options:[8]
| Interface | Type |
|---|---|
| Wi-Fi 6 | External wireless |
| Ethernet | External wired |
| Bluetooth | External short-range |
| CAN / EtherCAT (500 Hz to 1 kHz) | Internal real-time bus |
The robot also supports ROS2, MQTT, and TCP/IP protocols for software integration, enabling compatibility with existing factory automation systems and multi-robot coordination frameworks.[9]
Tian Yi 2.0 runs on X-Humanoid's proprietary Wise KaiWu (Chinese: 慧思开悟, also romanized Huisi Kaiwu) general-purpose embodied AI platform, which also powers the entire Tiangong/Tien Kung bipedal series. Wise KaiWu establishes a continuous perception-decision-execution closed loop, linking the robot's sensor inputs to high-level reasoning and low-level motor control without relying on pre-programmed task scripts.[9]
The platform uses a dual-brain architecture:
Wise KaiWu enables Tian Yi 2.0 to use large language model capabilities to customize object recognition on the fly. For instance, operators can instruct the robot in natural language to watch for specific types of equipment faults or to identify particular items during patrol rounds, and the embodied AI system adapts its perception pipeline accordingly.[1]
The platform also supports multi-robot scheduling and coordination, allowing a fleet of Tian Yi 2.0 units (or mixed fleets including bipedal Tien Kung robots) to divide tasks, share spatial maps, and hand off assignments.
Tian Yi 2.0 is primarily framed for autonomous patrol and inspection in offices, warehouses, and industrial facilities. Typical deployment scenarios include after-hours security rounds, equipment condition monitoring, perimeter checks, and alert escalation workflows. The robot uses its visible-light and thermal imaging systems to detect anomalies, and its large language model-powered recognition pipeline can be customized to identify facility-specific objects and conditions.[1]
Using its dual articulated arms and dexterous gripper hands, Tian Yi 2.0 can perform a range of physical tasks in human environments:
The robot's ability to autonomously identify and operate elevators is a high-value capability for multi-floor facility deployment, enabling real-world use without requiring building retrofits.[1]
At the Foton Cummins engine plant in China, Tian Yi 2.0 units operate on an unmanned production line performing autonomous bin pickup, transport, and placement. The robots adapt to varying shelf heights and container types, demonstrating the flexibility of the Wise KaiWu perception and planning stack in real industrial conditions.[2]
Beyond industrial applications, Tian Yi 2.0 is also positioned for visitor reception, guided tours, and customer service in commercial buildings and exhibition halls. Its microphone array and natural language processing capabilities allow it to engage in spoken dialogue with visitors.
For tasks that exceed the robot's autonomous capabilities or in emergency situations, Tian Yi 2.0 supports remote control through VR equipment or an operator "cockpit" interface. A single operator can switch between and control multiple robots, providing fine manipulation guidance and decision support. This teleoperation mode is particularly valuable in hazardous environments where the robot can serve as a physical proxy, reducing human exposure to risk.[1]
| Category | Specification | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Physical | Locomotion type | Wheeled mobile base |
| Upper body | Humanoid (torso, dual arms, head) | |
| Degrees of freedom | 35 (total) | |
| Fingers per hand | 5 | |
| Perception | Visible-light cameras | RGB, RGBD, depth |
| Thermal imaging | Infrared thermal camera | |
| Ranging | LiDAR | |
| Audio | Microphone array | |
| AI/Computing | AI platform | Wise KaiWu (Huisi Kaiwu) |
| LLM integration | Yes | |
| Operating system | Linux | |
| Connectivity | Wireless | Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth |
| Wired | Ethernet | |
| Internal bus | CAN / EtherCAT (500 Hz to 1 kHz) | |
| Software protocols | ROS2, MQTT, TCP/IP | |
| Actuators | Type | Electric servo |
| Target applications | Primary | Industrial patrol, inspection, material handling |
| Secondary | Reception, guided service, teleoperation |
Tian Yi 2.0 achieved notable success at the inaugural World Humanoid Robot Games, held in Beijing in August 2025. The event, organized as the world's first competition integrating sports, arts, and applied scenarios for humanoid robots, featured participants from robotics companies and research institutions worldwide.[2]
In the material-handling competition, Tian Yi 2.0 units powered by the Wise KaiWu platform took both first and second place, demonstrating strong general-purpose intelligence and autonomy in a competitive setting. The same event saw X-Humanoid's bipedal Tiangong Ultra win the 100-meter sprint final with a fully autonomous time of 21.50 seconds, becoming the world's first humanoid robot sprint champion.[10]
X-Humanoid has established partnerships with several major industrial organizations for deploying both Tian Yi 2.0 and the bipedal Tien Kung series:
| Partner | Application | Robot(s) Used |
|---|---|---|
| Foton Cummins | Engine plant production line: bin pickup, transport, placement | Tian Yi 2.0, Tien Kung 2.0 |
| China Electric Power Research Institute | Power grid inspections | Tien Kung 2.0 |
| Li-Ning Group (Sports Science Lab) | Athletic shoe testing | Tien Kung 2.0 |
| Bayer | Pharmaceutical manufacturing applications | Tien Kung series |
The Foton Cummins deployment is particularly significant as an early example of humanoid robots operating autonomously on a live, unmanned production line in a major industrial facility. Both the wheeled Tian Yi 2.0 and the bipedal Tien Kung 2.0 work on the same production line, each handling tasks suited to its locomotion type.[2]
X-Humanoid exhibited its full product lineup at CES 2026 in Las Vegas in January 2026, making it one of approximately a dozen Chinese humanoid robot companies present at the show. Chinese humanoid robot firms made up roughly half of all humanoid exhibitors at CES 2026, reflecting the rapid growth of China's embodied AI industry.[11]
At the exhibition, X-Humanoid demonstrated live autonomous sorting tasks with the Embodied Tien Kung 2.0, visitor interactions, and operational showcases highlighting real-world deployability. Tian Yi 2.0 was presented as the company's solution for facilities requiring robust indoor navigation and manipulation without the complexity of bipedal locomotion.[2]
X-Humanoid's relationship with founding shareholder UBTECH extends beyond equity ownership. In March 2025, the two organizations jointly launched the Tiangong Walker, a full-size research-grade humanoid robot priced at RMB 299,000 (approximately $41,300 USD).[12] Standing 170 cm tall with 20 degrees of freedom and a biomimetic torso, the Tiangong Walker was designed specifically for research and educational institutions as an accessible entry point into humanoid robotics.
The Tiangong Walker supports a modular, expandable design with add-on options including depth cameras, LiDAR, NVIDIA Orin computing boards, six-axis force sensors, collaborative dual-arm systems, and dexterous hands. Full access to motor, sensor, and motion control interfaces enables secondary development by researchers.[12]
A more advanced variant, the Tiangong Walker DEX, was subsequently introduced with improved stability, motion control, and coordination between cerebellum (motion) and cortex (cognition) functions for fully autonomous task execution.[13]
A distinctive aspect of X-Humanoid's strategy is its commitment to open-source releases, which center leadership has described as an effort to build "the Android of humanoid robotics."[4] The open-source initiative formally launched in November 2024 when X-Humanoid released the Tiangong design and associated technologies to the public.[14]
Open-sourced components include:
The RoboMIND dataset is notable as the largest multi-embodiment teleoperation dataset collected on a unified platform. It includes data from the Franka Emika Panda single-arm robot (52,926 trajectories), the Tien Kung humanoid (19,152 trajectories), the AgileX Cobot Magic V2.0 dual-arm robot (10,629 trajectories), and the UR-5e single-arm robot (25,170 trajectories). It also contains 5,000 real-world failure demonstrations with detailed cause annotations.[15]
These open-source releases are hosted on GitHub under the Open X-Humanoid organization and on Hugging Face for the dataset, and they support integration with the open-source LeRobot framework.[16]
Tian Yi 2.0 occupies a specific niche in the rapidly expanding global humanoid robot market. As a wheeled humanoid, it competes less directly with bipedal platforms from companies like Unitree Robotics, Figure AI, Tesla (Optimus), and Agility Robotics (Digit), and more directly with other wheeled or hybrid manipulation platforms designed for industrial service tasks.
Within China specifically, the humanoid robot industry experienced explosive growth in 2025 and 2026. Unitree Robotics shipped over 5,500 humanoid robots in 2025, while AgiBot and UBTECH also delivered units at scale. The market saw significant government support: China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued guidelines aiming to establish a preliminary humanoid robot innovation system by 2025, and six major humanoid robot innovation centers were established across the country.[5]
X-Humanoid differentiates itself through several factors: its status as a national innovation platform with government backing, its extensive open-source ecosystem, the breadth of its product lineup (spanning wheeled, bipedal, research, and athletic platforms), and its strategic focus on enabling a standardized development ecosystem rather than competing solely on hardware sales.
The broader competitive landscape also saw Chinese humanoid robot companies achieving growing international visibility. At CES 2026, Chinese firms made up approximately half of all humanoid robot exhibitors, and several Chinese humanoid robots were featured at the 2026 Spring Festival Gala, drawing comparisons to a Super Bowl-level audience.[11][17]
X-Humanoid's February 2026 launch of the Embodied Tien Kung 3.0, with 43 degrees of freedom and industry-first full-body tactile interaction capabilities, signals the direction of the broader platform's evolution. The Tien Kung 3.0 demonstrated advanced physical capabilities including one-handed vaults over one-meter obstacles, somersaults, dancing, and precision manipulation in confined spaces.[9]
For the Tian Yi product line, the improvements to the Wise KaiWu platform introduced with Tien Kung 3.0 are expected to cascade to the wheeled platform as well, including enhanced multi-robot collaboration, improved autonomous decision-making, and more sophisticated manipulation capabilities. The $100 million funding secured in early 2026 is earmarked for scaling embodied AI software development and establishing pilot manufacturing capacity to move from prototype to volume production.[6]