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Midea Group Co., Ltd. is a Chinese multinational home appliances and consumer electronics company headquartered in Beijiao, [[Foshan]], [[Guangdong]], [[China]]. Founded in 1968, Midea is one of the world's largest appliance manufacturers and a major player in industrial [[robotics]] through its ownership of [[KUKA]], the German industrial robot manufacturer. In 2025, Midea entered the [[humanoid robot]] market with the [[MIRO (robot)|MIRO]] series, culminating in the MIRO U, the world's first six-armed wheel-leg humanoid robot.
Midea was founded in 1968 in Beijiao, Foshan, Guangdong Province. The company grew from a small workshop into one of China's largest home appliance manufacturers, producing air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, and small home appliances.[1]
In 2017, Midea invested approximately 29.2 billion yuan to acquire a 94.55 percent stake in [[KUKA]], a German industrial robot manufacturer and one of the world's "Big Four" robotics companies (alongside [[ABB]], [[Fanuc]], and [[Yaskawa]]). By 2022, Midea completed the acquisition of 100 percent of KUKA's shares, with a total investment of 31.5 billion yuan.[2]
The Midea KUKA Intelligent Manufacturing Science and Technology Park, located in Shunde, Foshan, has become the largest industrial robot production base in China, with cumulative production and delivery of more than 80,000 industrial robots.[2]
Midea made its humanoid robot ambitions public in March 2025, when it showed its first prototype and announced a dedicated humanoid robot innovation center. The company committed to investing $200 million in embodied AI research and development.[3]
The two-armed wheeled humanoid MIRO was the first model, deployed at Midea's Jingzhou washing machine factory for material transport, tub handling, inspection, and other repetitive tasks.[4]
On December 5, 2025, Midea unveiled the MIRO U at the Greater Bay Area New Economy Forum, a six-armed humanoid robot described as the world's first of its kind. The robot represented the third generation of Midea's humanoid robot family.[5]
Midea is one of the world's largest producers of home appliances, including air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, microwave ovens, dishwashers, and small kitchen appliances.
[[KUKA]], fully owned by Midea, produces industrial robots, automated production systems, and Industry 4.0 solutions. KUKA robots are widely used in the automotive, electronics, healthcare, logistics, and consumer goods industries.
| Model | Type | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| MIRO | Two-armed wheeled humanoid | Material transport, inspection at Midea factories |
| [[MIRO (robot) | MIRO U]] | Six-armed wheel-leg humanoid |
The [[MIRO (robot)|MIRO U]] is Midea's flagship humanoid robot and the third generation of the MIRO family.
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Arms | 6 (bionic, fully actuated) |
| Mobility | Wheeled base with vertical lifting and 360-degree rotation |
| Simultaneous Tasks | 3 |
| Lower Limbs Function | Heavy component handling |
| Upper Limbs Function | Fine assembly and fastening |
| Tool Swapping | Rapid, automated |
| Deployment Target | Midea Wuxi washing machine factory |
| Production Line Efficiency Gain | Up to 30% |
Unlike conventional two-armed humanoid designs, MIRO U features six fully actuated bionic limbs. The lower limbs handle heavy components while the upper limbs perform fine assembly and fastening work. The 360-degree in-place rotation, stable vertical lifting, and rapid tool-swapping capabilities allow MIRO U to handle workstation transitions that would typically require multiple human workers or several separate machines.[5]
Midea's robotics technology draws on both its internal R&D and KUKA's decades of industrial robotics expertise:
The integration of KUKA's robotics expertise with Midea's manufacturing scale and market access has created significant synergies:
| Metric | Details |
|---|---|
| KUKA Acquisition Cost | 31.5 billion yuan total |
| KUKA Stake | 100% (completed 2022) |
| China Production Base | Midea KUKA Intelligent Manufacturing Science and Technology Park, Shunde |
| Robots Produced | 80,000+ cumulative |
| Metric | Details |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1968 |
| Headquarters | Beijiao, Foshan, Guangdong, China |
| Embodied AI Investment | $200 million |
| Stock Exchange | Shenzhen Stock Exchange |