American and Chinese companies are competing in humanoid robot development, aiming to fill industrial and service roles.

Tesla’s Optimus project leads in the US, targeting 5,000 units in 2025. In response, China’s Agibot and Unitree Robotics set the same goal.

Unitree has already launched the G1 humanoid for US$16,000, undercutting Tesla’s estimated US$20,000 for the Optimus Gen2.

China is rapidly advancing, filing 5,688 humanoid robot patents in the past five years, far surpassing the US’s 1,483.

Companies like Xiaomi, BYD, and Geely are integrating Unitree robots into factories. Government backing, including guidelines for scaled production by 2025, further strengthens China’s lead.

Analysts warn that US companies may struggle against China’s supply chain advantages, as Unitree’s G1 is built without American components.

Bank of America predicts rapid growth, with global humanoid robot sales reaching 1 million units annually by 2030.