On the 5th (local time) at Messe Berlin in Berlin, Germany, Engine AI's Humanoid T800 from China performs vigorous full-body movements during Robot on the Runway./Courtesy of Jeong Doo-yong, Berlin

"Oh!"

On the 5th (local time) in Berlin, Germany, at the European consumer electronics and information technology (IT) show "IFA 2026." On the Creator Stage at Palais am Funkturm inside Messe Berlin, a wheeled quadruped robot showed off a trick, then backed up and lost its bearings. When it went off the end of the runway and fell off the stage, a groan rippled through the crowd. But cheers of "Stay strong" and "You can do it" soon followed. As if watching a child's talent show, the audience applauded, waiting for the robot's next move rather than dwelling on the mistake.

The "Robots on the Runway" show that day drew a packed crowd around the stage more than 10 minutes before it began. Staff limited additional entry, and spectators jammed the second-floor railing as well as the first-floor perimeter to look down at the robots. Cheers erupted whenever a robot broke into an intense dance, flowed through tai chi moves, or did a side split. Each time a slick move landed, dozens of smartphones swung toward the stage in unison.

On the 5th (local time) at Messe Berlin in Berlin, Germany, AgiBot's Humanoid X2 Ultra from China demonstrates a side split in front of spectators during Robot on the Runway./Courtesy of Jeong Doo-yong, Berlin

A German spectator in their 20s who watched the runway said, "I saw, at a glance, technology so astonishing it was eerie," and noted, "It made me think the moment when robots change my daily life isn't far off." IFA put robots front and center this year to spotlight that shift. About 300 companies took part in the future-tech zone "IFA Next." IFA said the event featured the most Humanoid Robot units ever. Rather than just parking robots in booths, organizers changed the format so visitors could directly see sensors, motion control, and human interaction through a runway and autonomous robot soccer, "RoboCup."

On the 5th (local time) at Messe Berlin in Berlin, Germany, Engine AI's Humanoid T800 from China walks the stage during Robot on the Runway. Spectators crowd around the stage and along the second-floor railing to film the robot./Courtesy of Jeong Doo-yong, Berlin

◇ Cheers for dance, tai chi, and splits… "Stay strong," even after mistakes

Eleven companies joined the runway, including China's Engine AI, AgiBot, Unitree, Dobot, DeepRobotics, and AImoga, as well as Primebot, Cozirobotics, AlloBot, Astral Dynamics, and Mind With Heart. The lineup spanned everything from humanoids to quadrupeds on legs or wheels, plus companion robots modeled after animals.

Each company sent its flagship model down the runway to show its strongest moves, then exited for the next robot, in a program that ran about an hour. IFA said the humanoids successfully performed dance, tai chi, backflips, and splits during the event.

On the 5th (local time) at Messe Berlin in Berlin, Germany, AgiBot's X2 Ultra from China spreads its arms to demonstrate movements during Robot on the Runway. In the back, Engine AI's Humanoid T800 from China waits for its turn./Courtesy of Jeong Doo-yong, Berlin

When the T800 from China's Engine AI—nearly as tall as a person—twisted its torso wide and swung its arms and legs onstage, the audience's gaze snapped to it. The T800 is a 173-centimeter general-purpose humanoid. It applies up to 29 degrees of freedom across the body except the hands, and actively cools the leg joints to enable extended movement.

China's AgiBot brought a smaller model, the 1.31-meter, roughly 39-kilogram "X2 Ultra." The X2 Ultra features 30 degrees of freedom, a 3D lidar and an RGB-D camera, among other sensors, and demonstrated walking, gestures, and human interaction.

It wasn't just a contest of high-intensity moves. China's Dobot showed "PandaBo," a panda-inspired robot, moving on all fours and bonding with the audience, and multiple companion robots of different sizes and designs went up the runway together. The stage paired the humanlike motion of humanoids with the friendliness of animal-like robots. After the show, a meet-and-greet let visitors see the robots up close.

On the 5th (local time) at Robot on the Runway at Messe Berlin in Berlin, Germany, pet and companion robots take the stage together to showcase movement and interaction features./Courtesy of Jeong Doo-yong, Berlin

Because it was live, not every move went as planned. A quadruped fell off the stage, and when a child-sized humanoid lost balance, the emcee steadied the body by hand to help it regain posture. But the audience cheered rather than booing the blunders. When a robot reset its stance, they roared.

On the 5th (local time) at Messe Berlin in Berlin, Germany, during Robot on the Runway, AgiBot's small Humanoid X2 Ultra from China loses balance while moving across the stage and the host catches it./Courtesy of Jeong Doo-yong, Berlin
On the 5th (local time) at Messe Berlin in Berlin, Germany, during Robot on the Runway, a wheeled quadruped robot finishes its demonstration and reverses off the edge of the stage./Courtesy of Jeong Doo-yong, Berlin

A staffer at a Korean small manufacturer, a person surnamed Lee, 43, said, "Even though it was live, it was striking that the robots showcased their capabilities with no major mistakes," adding, "I was reminded again that the scope for physical AI is very broad, not only for human forms but also for robots that can connect emotionally."

On the 5th (local time) at the Creator Stage at Messe Berlin in Berlin, Germany, during Robot on the Runway, Dobot's panda-type robot PandaBo from China moves on four legs to demonstrate its motions./Courtesy of Jeong Doo-yong, Berlin
On the 5th (local time) at Messe Berlin in Berlin, Germany, during Robot on the Runway, participating companies' humanoid, quadruped, and companion robots gather on one stage./Courtesy of Jeong Doo-yong, Berlin

◇ Exhibition halls packed with robots

The robot exhibits were dazzling. In Hall 25 at Messe Berlin, companies competed to show what robots can actually do. Next to a booth where a humanoid danced, another robot handled items in a simulated logistics task, traversed ramps and sand, or played instruments. It underscored that the "physical AI" IFA is touting doesn't just mean person-shaped machines that walk on two legs.

On the 5th (local time) at IFA Next in Hall 25 at Messe Berlin in Berlin, Germany, Pudu Robotics' wheeled quadruped robot PUDU D5-W from China navigates an obstacle course with a ramp and sand./Courtesy of Jeong Doo-yong, Berlin

China's Pudu Robotics unveiled the wheeled semi-humanoid "PUDU D7" in Europe. Standing 175 centimeters and weighing 140 kilograms, the D7 combines two arms with a 360-degree holonomic chassis. A single arm can handle up to 20 kilograms, it runs for more than 4 hours, and offers 276 TOPS of compute. Instead of walking bipedally like a person, it's built to move stably across flat factory and logistics floors while pulling items off high shelves, transporting them, and doing assembly.

In the same booth, Pudu Robotics' wheeled quadruped "PUDU D5-W" climbed ramps and crossed sand-covered sections. Using a 3D lidar and cameras to sense its surroundings, it targets inspections and patrols in facilities that are hard for people to traverse. China's DeepRobotics also displayed its wheeled quadruped "Lynx M20S," pitching it for industrial uses such as power equipment inspection and disaster response and security patrols.

On the 5th (local time) at IFA Next in Hall 25 at Messe Berlin in Berlin, Germany, a Humanoid Robot from China's TermyTech plays a Yamaha electronic keyboard with both hands./Courtesy of Jeong Doo-yong, Berlin

There were demos focused on robot hands, too. At the China-based TermiTech booth, a humanoid moved both hands to play a Yamaha electronic keyboard. TermiTech develops the "TermiBrain," which handles robot decision-making and control, along with robotic hands, and is targeting manufacturing, patrol, and inspection. At China's Unitree booth, three G1 humanoids performed synchronized choreography. China's Primebot rolled out the 88-centimeter personal humanoid "Q1" and the "T1," which can switch between human and quadruped forms, aiming at education, filming, and companion robot markets.

On the 5th (local time) at the Unitree booth at IFA Next in Hall 25 at Messe Berlin in Berlin, Germany, three Humanoid G1 units perform the same movements simultaneously./Courtesy of Jeong Doo-yong, Berlin

According to market researcher Counterpoint Research, global Humanoid Robot shipments in the first half of this year topped 22,000 units, up about 300% from a year earlier. China's AgiBot shipped about 9,700 units for more than 43%, and China's Unitree shipped over 7,000 for 31%. The two companies together account for roughly three-quarters of global shipments. Counterpoint Research projects worldwide humanoid shipments this year will exceed 50,000 units.

On the 5th (local time) at IFA Next in Hall 25 at Messe Berlin in Berlin, Germany, small robots interact with spectators./Courtesy of Jeong Doo-yong, Berlin

More than 60% of shipped humanoids are still for performance and entertainment, and data generation and research. Manufacturing is 13%, and warehousing and logistics are 5%. In today's market, the dance and moves seen on the runway are themselves products with real demand.

An industry official said, "As manufacturing and logistics grow, the basis of competition is shifting from 'how humanlike is the motion' to 'how precisely and repeatedly can that motion do work,'" adding, "The next contest isn't about how cool a backflip looks, but about how precisely robots can repeat the 'work' shown at the expo in factories, stores, and homes where layouts and conditions keep changing."

On the 4th (local time) at Xiaomi's booth at IFA 2026 in Berlin, Germany, the Humanoid Robot CyberOne plays rock-paper-scissors with a visitor. Xiaomi is also testing CyberOne for manufacturing tasks at its electric vehicle plant./Courtesy of Jeong Doo-yong, Berlin
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