Global Robotics Event: China Unveils Xiao Tuo, a Modular Factory Humanoid
Guangdong-based robotics leader Topstar unveiled its first humanoid robot, “Xiao Tuo,” at the company’s 2025 Global Open Day on September 12, marking a significant step for both the firm and Guangdong’s robotics engineering industry. “Xiao Tuo” is a wheeled humanoid robot designed for industrial applications, particularly on injection moulding production lines. It can perform simple, repetitive tasks such as sorting, tray loading, material handling, and screw assembly. Powered by a self-developed AI large model with 3,352 TOPS computing capacity, “Xiao Tuo” can reason through complex tasks and adapt to real factory environments, achieving full automation from inspection to operation.
Notably, the robot features a modular design: its body and arms are fully detachable. It can separate at the waist to function as a humanoid robot, while each arm can operate independently as a humanoid robotic arm. Visitors at the launch event tried controlling “Xiao Tuo” using VR and handheld controllers.
Industry experts emphasised the broader implications for Guangdong’s robotics sector, calling AI Evolution-driven robots a “new productive force” in manufacturing, propelling Guangdong and China toward higher efficiency and smarter operations. Guangdong remains the largest industrial robotics cluster in China, producing over 240,000 industrial robots in 2024, accounting for 31.2% year-on-year growth and over 40% of China’s robot production.
Topstar’s “Xiao Tuo” exemplifies how Guangdong companies are translating cutting-edge AI and robotics research into practical, industrially viable solutions. The robot represents a milestone for Topstar and highlights Guangdong’s pivotal role in shaping the future of China’s and the world’s robotics industry.
