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From November 25 to 27, the 29th “2025 China International Small Motor Technology, Magnetic Materials Technology Seminar and Exhibition” (hereinafter referred to as the “Small Motor Exhibition”), hosted by the 21st Institute of China Electronics Technology Group, was held at the Shanghai New International Expo Center, themed “New Quality Driven, Innovation Leading”.
Wearing a “hard hat” and “sneakers”… At the exhibition, the new generation humanoid robot “Exploration D1” developed by the 21st Institute and CETC Robotics was officially launched, showcasing the latest humanoid robots, centaur robots, quadruped robots, exoskeleton robot series, and various core components of micro-special motors.
“Long legs” walk on a 20-degree steep slope as if on flat ground.
Standing at 170 cm tall and weighing 75 kg, “Exploration D1” is sturdier than typical humanoid robots. According to Liu Yifan, chief expert at the Robotics Center of the 21st Institute, this robot uses electric drive, featuring strong waterproof, corrosion-resistant, and dust-proof capabilities, with all joints and wiring wrapped up, giving it the appearance of wearing a “hard hat” and “sneakers”.
Currently, the walking ability of humanoid robots has advanced rapidly, capable of long-distance walking without falling. Many bipedal robots learn to “walk” through data-driven reinforcement learning, but the 21st Institute has chosen a model-driven technical route—modeling based on physical laws to achieve robot perception and control.
This technical route features stronger mobility, with “Exploration D1” achieving a maximum speed of 10 km/h, a jump distance of about half a meter, and a jump height of about 20 cm, allowing it to walk freely on steps of 20 cm height and slopes not exceeding 20 degrees.
“Exploration D1” also has dexterous hands. When you shake hands with it, you will find that all ten fingers have “fingerprints”, which are actually pressure sensors with a sensitivity of 0.1 Newton. The presence of these sensors allows the robot’s hands to perceive the existence of objects like a human, enabling it to perform more actions.
“This humanoid robot is quite intelligent; it can autonomously recharge and has self-protection features. For instance, when facing potential dangers or obstacles, it can effectively avoid them, and its ability to get up after falling and maintain posture helps reduce its risk of ‘injury’,” said Wang Hongwu, director of the Robotics and Core Components R&D Center at the 21st Institute.
Due to its upright posture, strong stability, and ability to operate in complex environments, the 21st Institute is considering “Exploration D1” for roles in logistics, manufacturing, and special operations. For example, the “zipper-style human wall” crowd control mode used by armed police during major holidays in Shanghai, which involves moving in a queue to separate dense crowds, may one day involve robots.
Exoskeleton priced under 6000 yuan enters the civilian market.
“Wearing it makes walking feel so much easier!” At the scene, audience members wearing the Baihong lightweight exoskeleton robot moved naturally and smoothly, whether walking back and forth or going up and down stairs. This robot is now available for purchase on JD.com, with multiple discounts bringing the price below 6000 yuan.
The Baihong lightweight assistive exoskeleton robot weighs only 2.2 kg and is made from aerospace-grade carbon fiber composite materials with a bionic joint structure. It innovatively develops a multi-modal sensor array that works in conjunction with AI algorithms to analyze human spatial posture, joint angles, and walking rhythm in real-time, accurately identifying lower limb movement intentions.
The exoskeleton robot can reduce muscle fatigue during daily activities such as climbing stairs and shopping. In long-distance walking scenarios, the self-developed AI energy optimization algorithm can monitor the user’s physical condition in real-time, dynamically adjust the assistance curve, and with a 2-hour battery life and fast charging, effectively extend the user’s autonomous activity radius. In active outdoor scenarios, it features dual modes for tourism/mountaineering, optimizing torque output for complex terrains such as scenic stone paths and sloped mountain roads to achieve smooth transitions on slopes.
The Small Motor Exhibition was founded in 1996 and has become a large-scale professional event in the small motor industry after 29 years of development. This exhibition attracted over 350 domestic and foreign enterprises showcasing cutting-edge products, fully demonstrating the forefront technologies and application trends in the small motor and robotics industry, and showcasing the current strength and level of small motor, robotics, and component manufacturing in China and worldwide.
Correspondent/Ma Hanghang Some sources/Shanghai Science and Technology Proofread/He Shuang
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