China Is Testing Household Humanoid Robots That Can Cook, Clean, and Do Laundry

Chinese startup GigaAI has unveiled the SeeLight S1, which it describes as China’s first general-purpose household humanoid robot. 

Developed alongside the Hubei Humanoid Robot Innovation Centre and the Hubei Humanoid Robotics Industry Alliance, the wheeled, two-armed robot is designed to handle everyday chores ranging from washing clothes to caring for elderly family members.

In demonstration footage shared by the company, the robot was shown chopping vegetables, frying eggs, loading washing machines, hanging laundry, making beds, and opening curtains.

GigaAI plans to begin real-world testing later this month, deploying 100 units in employee housing linked to high-tech industrial zones. The company then plans to roll out free household trials in Wuhan during the first half of 2027, focusing on homes with elderly residents, children, or pets.

Unlike industrial humanoids that typically follow fixed routines in controlled environments, the SeeLight S1 relies on embodied AI systems that allow it to interpret surroundings and decide how to complete tasks on its own.

The distinction matters because homes are far less predictable than factories. Furniture moves, objects are scattered around, and people create constantly changing conditions. To address safety concerns, GigaAI says the S1 includes a “compliant control mechanism” that immediately freezes movement if it comes into contact with children or pets.

According to a Changjiang Daily article cited by the South China Morning Post (SCMP), GigaAI CEO Zhu Zheng said the company hopes to reduce the robot’s hardware cost to below 100,000 yuan, roughly $14,700, by June 2027, cutting its current price roughly in half. 

Zhu also said he expects major advances in the commercialization of household robots and in embodied AI capabilities by 2028.

China’s bigger robotics bet

The launch comes as Chinese companies and government-backed research groups aggressively invest in humanoid robotics as part of a broader AI and automation push. While the market is still dominated by products like robotic vacuum cleaners, fully capable humanoid household robots remain largely experimental.

OneRobotics, a Shenzhen-based robotics company, recently announced a 45 million yuan project to gather real-world household data for AI training, according to SCMP. The company said its OneRo H1 robots will collect information across kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms, and balconies while performing tasks related to tidying, storage, and elder care.

The company said the project was “highly consistent with [the company]’s core strategy of focusing on embodied intelligence at home,” according to SCMP.

Skepticism remains

Despite the hype, many robotics experts remain cautious about how quickly humanoid robots can become useful inside homes.

Fast Company reported that some industry observers believe the technology still faces major technical and safety hurdles before widespread adoption becomes realistic.

“It’s not gonna do anything. There is no way. It’s not much more than a rich person’s ‘look what I got!’ It won’t get anything done,” Mark Rolston told Fast Company while discussing household humanoid robots.

Even some robotics executives who see long-term potential acknowledge the difficulty of the task. Unitree Robotics CEO Wang Xingxing previously said there was “significant potential” for home use, but that it remained “challenging” at this stage, per Fast Company.

While Western competitors like San Francisco-based startup Gatsby are testing different options using an app-based, on-demand service model where remote humans take over the machine for tricky tasks, China’s tech sector is doubling down on creating fully autonomous, highly dextrous machines that think and act entirely on their own.

Also read: China’s AI-powered lunar robot is being built to help carry equipment, place instruments, and support Chang’e-8 moon mission work in 2029.

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