Walker S2
Limited evidenceRead the findings →UBTECH's factory humanoid, which swaps its own battery so it can keep working on a production line. It's aimed at manufacturers willing to run a pilot. It's sold only to businesses, with no published price.
Updated
See the alternatives below, or switch market.
Where it sits in UBTECH’s range
- UBTECH Walker S1Earlier industrial humanoid trialled on car production lines
- Walker S2This model
- UBTECH Walker C1UBTECH's commercial humanoid for service settings
Feedback
What we know
What we know comes from UBTECH, through the news. CnEVPost and New Atlas reported UBTECH's battery-swap video when the robot was unveiled in July 2025, and AI Business covered the start of mass deliveries in November. All three work from UBTECH's own material, from the swap time to the delivery numbers, though New Atlas adds some useful scepticism about what the video shows.
It changes its own battery
UBTECH says Walker S2 swaps its own battery in about three minutes without shutting down, CnEVPost reported, and picks between swapping and charging depending on how urgent its task is. New Atlas describes the routine: the robot walks to a swap station, twists its torso, pulls the flat pack from its back and fits a charged one. In a factory, that could mean near round-the-clock work with no staff changing batteries.
The demo used tools, not hands
New Atlas spotted that in UBTECH's battery-swap video, the robot's working hands seem to have been swapped for tool attachments that grip the battery. It assumed production robots would need a way round that, since they'd also need hands for their actual jobs. UBTECH hadn't explained how at the time. It's a good example of why a demo video isn't a test, so ask UBTECH to show the swap on a robot fitted for your task.
Hundreds delivered, but little checked
UBTECH says it started mass production and delivery in November 2025, with several hundred units going to industrial sites and a target of 500 by the end of that year, per AI Business and UBTECH's own release UBTECH. Partners it names include BYD, Geely, Audi FAW, Foxconn and SF Express. Those are real deployments, but the figures are UBTECH's. Still to be shown: how much work the robots do, how often people step in, what they cost to run, how quickly and reliably the battery swap works, and how the lifting and vision hold up on a real line.
Lifting, reach and vision
UBTECH rates Walker S2 to lift 15kg and handle loads anywhere from floor level up to 1.8 metres, helped by a strong waist motor that lets it bend forward and turn, per the specifications. It sees through a pair of ordinary colour cameras in its head, with software judging depth the way human eyes do. New Atlas points out the emergency stop button on its back. They're sensible features for a factory.
Specs come from UBTECH's Walker S2 page, which publishes its full specification table only as an image.
Our take
Should you buy the Walker S2?
Best for: Factories and warehouses able to run a trial with the maker. Skip it if: You want a robot for an ordinary household.
only for manufacturers and logistics firms willing to run a pilot with UBTECH, most likely in China where it is already deployed. Businesses elsewhere should also look at Agility's Digit for warehouse tote handling and Apptronik's Apollo for factory work.
Walker S2 is UBTECH's factory humanoid, the newest in a line that carmakers including BYD, Nio and Zeekr have tested on their production lines. When one of its two battery packs runs low it walks to a charging station, pulls the spent pack out of its back and slots in a fresh one, in about three minutes. UBTECH sells it with its own task software and training, and only to businesses through its sales team.
UBTECH says it has delivered hundreds of units to Chinese factories, with partners including BYD, Geely and Foxconn, and rates the robot to lift 15kg from floor level up to 1.8 metres. In UBTECH's own swap video the hands seem to have been replaced by tool attachments, so ask to see the swap on a robot fitted for your task. There is no price, no online order and no home version.
Before you buy
The questions people ask about this one
Can I actually buy one?
Only as a business. UBTECH's page offers a contact form and an invitation to become a partner, with no price or online order, per the specifications. AI Business describes deliveries to industrial sites in China. There's no consumer version, and we found no official seller in the UK, Europe, the US or Australia.
What can it do on its own today?
UBTECH says its Co-Agent software lets it plan tasks, use tools and spot and deal with problems, per UBTECH, and it swaps its own battery, as CnEVPost reported. What customers actually use it for isn't published in detail, and nobody independent has measured how often a person has to step in.
Is it safe to have around people?
It's built for factory floors with trained staff, not homes. New Atlas points out an emergency stop button on its back, and UBTECH describes a backup battery that takes over if the main one fails, per CnEVPost. Nobody has published an independent safety assessment.
What does it need to run?
A battery swap station installed on site, plus UBTECH's software and set-up. New Atlas describes swap stations that charge packs and monitor their health, and UBTECH sells Walker S2 as a turnkey package with its BrainNet platform and staff training, per UBTECH.
Who supports it if it breaks?
UBTECH, which is based in Shenzhen and lists a Chinese sales line on its page, per the specifications. It says it delivers full working set-ups and training rather than just robots, per UBTECH. Service terms outside China aren't published, so a business elsewhere should get support written into the contract.
Alternatives
Other humanoid robots to compare.
Digit
Why consider it: A commercial logistics humanoid already handling totes autonomously in live facilities.
The compromise: It's offered as a service to businesses, not as a robot you can simply buy.
Apollo 2
Why consider it: An industrial humanoid that pairs autonomous tasks with fleet management and operator oversight.
The compromise: It's for manufacturing and warehouse deployments, not retail purchase.
G1
Why consider it: A wheeled two-armed humanoid built for long shifts in retail and logistics.
The compromise: It's sold only through enterprise enquiry, and it rolls rather than walks.
Specs
Full specifications
Each specification names its source. Manufacturer claims are not independent test results; unconfirmed figures are labelled.
Owner reviews
Do you own the Walker S2?
Tell people how it’s held up: cleaning, maintenance, faults and support. Owner accounts are shown separately from independent reviews.
Sources
Where this page’s findings come from
Sources
- CnEVPost: UBTech shows how its humanoid robot can work 24/7 with autonomous battery swap ↗News
- New Atlas: Watch: Humanoid robot swaps out its own batteries for 24/7 operation ↗News
- AI Business: Chinese company completes first mass humanoid robot delivery ↗News
- UBTECH: Walker S2 product page ↗Manufacturer
- UBTECH: UBTECH humanoid robot Walker S2 begins mass production and delivery ↗Manufacturer
Videos
- UBTECH Robotics: Walker S2 - The World's First Humanoid Robot Capable of Autonomous Battery Swapping ↗
- UBTECH Robotics: Meet UBTECH New-Gen of Industrial Humanoid Robot——Walker S2 ↗
- Search YouTube for UBTECH Walker S2 ↗Search results may include company demonstrations or similar models. Check the source and model name; a demonstration is not an independent performance test.