BWton and Unitree unveil a full-size humanoid for live substation work
The Hangzhou duo's second joint robot is built to operate 6kV distribution equipment bare-handed, aiming at one of power utilities' most dangerous jobs.
A full-size humanoid built for live substation duty made its debut at the fifth Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, according to a Chinese robotics industry outlet. The robot is the second collaboration between Hangzhou-based BWton and Unitree, following a firefighting robot dog the two companies launched together. Shown in the expo's AI exhibition zone, the machine is described as able to operate 6kV distribution-room equipment bare-handed.
The target job is among the most hazardous in power operations: switching operations on distribution cabinets, where a single mistake can trigger an arc-flash explosion. BWton says its embodied-intelligence work platform decomposes substation work-ticket procedures — which normally require one worker to issue instructions and another to execute — into robot-executable steps, so a single robot can carry out the whole sequence. The platform has been adapted for switch cabinets, equipment panels, knobs, buttons and press-plates, and includes a one-button stop plus human teleoperation takeover in what the companies call a human-led, machine-assisted setup.
The debut lands against policy tailwinds as well as labor pressure. The report notes that China's industry ministry solicited public comment in June on technical standards for humanoid robots in substations and other typical scenarios, and that the National Energy Administration's AI-plus-energy guidance targets 2030 for deploying power equipment capable of autonomous perception, decision-making and execution. Experienced maintenance staff remain scarce, the company says, while much of the standardized, repetitive work still requires people on site.
What remains unverified is how much of this runs truly autonomously. The expo showing is a product debut, not a field deployment: no utility customer, order volume, or live-grid operating record has been disclosed. The capability claims come from the companies and the industry report, and the robot's performance in energized equipment rooms has not been independently demonstrated.