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The presentation of a humanoid robot at the World Robot Conference in Peking, 2025
Image: Li Xin/Xinhua/dpa/picture alliance

Humanoid robot

A humanoid robot is a robot based on the general structure of a human being.

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All Content on this topic

DW | MADE in Germany | JF-17-Boom – Pakistans Kampfjets stützen die Wirtschaft

Pakistan bets on fighter jet exports to boost its economy

Pakistan’s fighter jet is suddenly in demand. Can exports ease the country’s debt burden?
BusinessMarch 3, 202626:04 min
Chinese president Xi Jinping raises a clenched fist while standing at a podium in front of a large red and gold national emblem and hanging red drapes.

Economic powerhouse China — a risky partner?

China is pushing into European markets, and striving for ever greater military power.
BusinessFebruary 25, 202642:36 min
A view of Deutsche Telekom's new Industrial AI Cloud data center at the launch in Munich, Germany, on February 5, 2026

Germany bets on industrial AI to rival US and China

Germany is already harnessing AI for smarter production — with virtual factories, robot fleets and Industrial AI Cloud.
TradeFebruary 24, 2026
A child lying on a fluffy rug, touching a stuffed animal. Another person is seated nearby, partially visible from the shoulders down. The room is warmly lit and has a cozy atmosphere.

Purring robots: Children & AI toys

How AI toys can blur boundaries for children — and why researchers are concerned.
Digital WorldFebruary 23, 202602:23 min
An X post showing an AI-generated video depicting human-like robots practice shooting with machine guns with mountains in the distance

Fact check: Are China's robot soldiers just AI fakes?

Videos suggesting China may be building a robot army sound like science fiction, but social media says it’s real.
TechnologyFebruary 22, 2026
Deutschland 2026 | SHIFT_gesamt_ropetai.com

Are humans becoming too attached to AI?

AI flatters, comforts and offers support. But can AI toys and chatbots replace human connection?
Digital WorldFebruary 19, 202612:33 min
People watch as robots perform a dance during Lunar New Year celebrations marking the Year of the Horse, in Beijing, China.

China ushers in the Year of the Horse — with AI robots

What do people in China make of a future steered by the government — in which AI-powered robots take center stage?
InnovationFebruary 18, 202601:38 min
A woman pointing at a robotic exoskeleton worn by a man at the Great Wall in China

China's robotic legs enter everyday life

Ageing demographics and government backing are bringing robotic exoskeletons into the mass market.
TechnologyFebruary 14, 202603:22 min
In a room with bare walls, three Ukrainian soldiers mount a machine on a ground robot

How drones and ground robots are reshaping war in Ukraine

With soldiers near Kupiansk, DW's correspondent found out how drone technology is reshaping tactics and saving lives.
ConflictsFebruary 7, 202604:34 min
A machine selects raw materials with high content of rare earths at a mine in Bayan Obo, Mongolia, China, on October 27, 2010

How US Project Vault challenges China's rare-earth dominance

Donald Trump's Project Vault seeks to secure US access to rare earth minerals, vital for advanced tech and clean energy.
TradeFebruary 5, 2026
DW Videostill | Zoonosen: Könnte eine neue Pandemie aus dem Hinterhof kommen?

Healthy animals, healthy humans — why it matters

Most infectious diseases jumped from animals to humans. How can science help prevent pandemics?
ScienceJanuary 30, 202626:03 min
DW Podcast | Inside Europe | provisorisch f ROAD

Trump’s U-turn: What happened in Davos?

All eyes on Davos: Inside Europe's security and business correspondents take you through what happened at the World Economic Forum and what it all means, followed by a talk with human rights lawyer Wayne Jordash KC on Ukraine. Then: VAT fraud in Slovakia, Norwegian robots fighting isolation in schools, Winter Olympics preparations in Italy, and France's unlikely Catholic revival.
PoliticsJanuary 22, 202655:00 min
Humanoid robots interacting with a person, holding a teddy bear, at a technology exhibition, showcasing advances in robotics and artificial intelligence.

Humanoids: South Korea charts an unusual robotics path

The humanoid robots race is in full swing and South Korea is taking a rather unusual step in an effort to win it.
TechnologyJanuary 22, 202602:34 min
AI-generated image of a young woman in praying position in front of what looks like a pixellated globe

Using AI and robots in the service of religion

Robots, apps and social media: Digital progress isn’t sparing world religions either.
Digital WorldDecember 25, 202512:34 min
A four-legged robot roams a wooded area

'Robo-dog': New weapon in fight to save forests

Researchers in the UK have found a four-legged friend in their fight to save Europe's forests.
TechnologyDecember 3, 202502:06 min
MADE 2025 | Gesamtbild Deutschland

Of humans and machines — MADE

Wrestler breaks barriers, humanoid robots rise, disability meets opportunity, defense startups take off.
BusinessDecember 3, 202526:04 min
Tesla CEO Elon Musk is seen wearing a black suit, waving

Musk's trillion dollar pay deal hinges on humanoid robots

The pay deal is tied to Tesla's robotic ambitions, but critics warn the new tech isn't remotely ready.
TechnologyNovember 11, 2025
In front of a dark background, a robotic arm (L) and a human hand (R) reach out toward one another

AI and robot sounds: Music of the future? —  Shift

AI is transforming the music world. From songwriting to conducting – what does this mean for creators?
Digital WorldSeptember 12, 202512:34 min
Private space traveler Jared Isaacman seen from behind in a spacesuit, half his body out of a space capsule, with Earth in the distance

Space law crisis: Outer space security in an insecure world

There are reasons to be optimistic about space security, but they may have to be driven by the private sector.
PoliticsSeptember 10, 2025
DW Tomorrow Today show logo

Autonomous tractors and invasive fungi — Tomorrow Today

Autonomous tractors, local wool processing, crop fungus control and lake restoration – science delivers real-world fixes
ScienceSeptember 5, 202526:04 min
A 3D-printed steak is sliced with a kitchen knife

AI recipes and robotic chefs: The future of cooking — Shift

AI recipes, robot chefs, and 3D-printed steaks: Technology is transforming our food.
Digital WorldAugust 15, 202512:34 min
Humanoid robots at the 100-meter race during the World Humanoid Robot Games

World's first humanoid robot games begin in China

Robots played soccer, table tennis, ran and, often, fell over at the first humanoid robot games in China.
TechnologyAugust 15, 2025
A visitor looks at a robot in the first 4S store for AI robots in Beijing.

China's AI robots conquer retail

The world's first specialized store for AI-controlled robots has opened in the Yizhuang district of Beijing.
TechnologyAugust 14, 20257 images
DW Tomorrow Today Sendungslogo Composite

Tomorrow Today — The Science Show

Seismic mysteries / Disappearing glaciers / Orphan oil wells / E-noses / Autonomous car-bots / What is noise?
ScienceAugust 8, 202526:04 min
A visually impaired person walks with a six-legged robot "guide dog" during a demonstration of a field test for a Shanghai Jiao Tong University test team, in Shanghai, China June 18, 2024.

Revolutionary tech transforms lives of the visually impaired

How are AI and robotics transforming the world for blind and visually impaired people?
Digital WorldAugust 8, 202512:34 min
The MADE logo is superimposed on an image showing Mr. Kai Xu, of Beijing Surgerii Robotics, gesturing as he speaks near a surgical robot with multiple mechanical arms

Changing world: Blossoms, robots, and brain drain — MADE

Tulips, robotics, brain drain: What connects China, Pakistan and the Netherlands?
BusinessAugust 5, 202526:04 min
In a room resembling a laboratory, a young Asian man bends his head as he observes robotic arms at work

China's emerging robot industry seeks new markets overseas

Chinese robots may not be at the cutting edge, but they are catching up with the rest of the world at light speed.
TechnologyAugust 5, 202505:00 min
The "Global Us" show logo is seen between a male head with curly hair (bottom) and a female head (top, pictured upside down) blowing up a blue balloon

Tomorrow's influencers and visions for Mumbai's future

A childhood dream: social media stardom. Virtual influencers in advertising. And: A sustainable future for Mumbai?
SocietyAugust 1, 202526:04 min
A female silhouette and the word "PORN" are seen on a computer screen

How AI is changing our sex life

How are sex robots, virtual partners, and AI-generated porn changing our love lives
InnovationAugust 1, 202512:34 min
Three Bundeswehr robots resembling small tanks are lined up during a military exercise on a training ground

Rearming Europe means booming business for German startups

Germany’s defense startups are booming — but the pressure to deliver is mounting.
TechnologyJuly 21, 202503:46 min
A view of doctors working in the operating theater

Angola performs first successful robotic tele-surgery

The surgery was led by a doctor based in Orlando, US, on a patient with prostate cancer in a Luanda hospital.
HealthJuly 2, 202501:58 min
A man walking past an NIO showroom in China with a white EV inside

China's faltering economy in focus of WEF Tianjin meeting

Chinese shoppers are cautiously holding back, DW's editor-in-chief reports from this year's WEF meeting in Tianjin.
BusinessJune 27, 2025
A robotic waiter delivers an order to a table at the Robot Cafe, Kenya's first restaurant to employ humanoid robots as waiters

AI in restaurants: When robots serve the food

AI has lots of potential uses in restaurants. Forecasting tools can boost sales and cut food waste.
ScienceJune 18, 202504:08 min
A graphic representation of a hand showing the victory sign is superimposed on the Made in Germany show logo which appears on a bright red background

AI's impact on the working world

AI is taking over various areas: from robotics to the labor market and energy. But is it always right?
InnovationJune 10, 202526:04 min
DW Tomorrow Today show logo

Tomorrow Today — The Science Show

When it comes to eating, the future's already here! We take a look at all things diet.
ScienceMay 16, 202526:04 min
View of a drone in mid-air

Autonomous weapons: Machines decide over life and death

Autonomous weapons are taking over more tasks. How much longer will humans stay in control?
TechnologyMay 16, 202502:38 min
A view of a drone flying over a field of solar panels, overlaid with green binary code

Drones and AI: How technology is changing warfare

Drones, AI, and robots are changing how wars are fought today.
ConflictsMay 16, 202512:34 min
DW Tomorrow Today show logo

Tomorrow Today — The Science Show

The roles AI is playing in robotics, violence prevention, education, transport and agriculture.
ScienceMay 9, 202526:04 min
A robot behind the wheel of a car

What will mobility look like in the future?

Advanced sensor and camera technology makes remote-controlled cars and autonomous driving possible.
Digital WorldMay 9, 202512:34 min
Cows being milked by machines in Chestertown, Maryland

Cow AI: How robots are changing cattle farming

Amid a skilled labor shortage, more and more farmers are turning to AI-powered robots to care for their livestock.
BusinessMay 5, 202502:35 min
Food in pots prepared by a robot on a robot stove in a German hospital in Tübingen.

Robot chef revolutionizes hospital catering

A new kitchen robot is causing quite a stir in a hospital canteen in Germany.
BusinessMay 2, 202506:11 min
A lab technician in a white coat and hair cap leans over a foodstuff in a laboratory and smells it.

Accommodation, food and EVs — MADE

Spain’s housing shortage, lab-made food, a robot chef and energy-storing EVs.
BusinessApril 29, 202526:04 min
3D rendering concept illustrating a brain and A.I.

AI — curse or blessing?

Will artificial intelligence improve human life or lead to its downfall?
Digital WorldApril 25, 202512:34 min
Tiangong Ultra, a humanoid robot runs across the finish line while securing the first position during the E-Town Humanoid Robot Half Marathon, in Beijing, China

Robots lose against humans in half-marathon

Organizers said the robots were not expected to win, as it was more of a show of a technological prowess.
TechnologyApril 19, 2025
Exhibitions at the Hanover trade fair

German industry seeks fresh start in challenging times

The Hanover trade fair is taking place amid political upheaval, a German recession and US tariff threats.
BusinessMarch 29, 2025
Production line with people assembling cars

Labor market shortages

An edition dedicated to the world of work: from skilled labor to robots and ruthless entrepreneurs.
BusinessMarch 18, 202526:04 min
NASA's Ingenuity Mars helicopter is seen in a close-up taken by Mastcam-Z, a pair of zoomable cameras aboard the Perseverance rover.

How did the Ingenuity helicopter fly on Mars?

The Mars-copter Ingenuity confirmed that flight on the surface of other planets is possible. Here’s how it worked.
ScienceMarch 7, 202502:31 min
A robotic arm holds a grey cooking pot full of vegetables.

Machine oil instead of olive oil? Robots as cooks

Germany's food service industry is suffering a labor shortage. Can robots provide a solution?
InnovationFebruary 25, 202504:04 min
DW Euromaxx (Sendungslogo Composite)

Euromaxx — Lifestyle Europe

Ballerina photos by a Ukrainian photographer, a music school in a bus, and robots as cooks.
LifestyleFebruary 22, 202526:04 min
The "Horst" robot made in Germany

Germany's shift to robot automation

Horst from Fruitcore Robotics is German-made. What can this robot do? How does he help small firms?
BusinessFebruary 20, 202504:46 min