In a bold move that signals China’s growing dominance in intelligent robotics, Beijing-based company Robotera has introduced its latest innovation: the Q5 humanoid service robot.
Robotera describes its Q5 as a leap forward in robotic utility, designed to reshape how robots interact and assist in fields such as healthcare, retail, tourism, and education. Standing 1650 mm tall and weighing 70 kilograms (124 lbs), Q5 features an impressive 44 degrees of freedom (DoF), enabling fluid, humanlike motion. Its standout feature? The 11-DoF XHAND Lite, which mimics the size and dexterity of a human hand, is capable of lifting 10 kg per arm (22 lbs) with precise fingertip control.
“Q5 aims to redefine human-robot interaction through its fusion of engineering precision and embodied artificial intelligence,” notes Robotera.
From navigating tight indoor environments to performing intricate tasks, Q5 excels with its 7-DoF arms and a reach of 1380 mm, extending beyond 2 meters. Thanks to its compact design (582 mm x 519 mm) and the integration of LiDAR and stereo vision, it can autonomously map and navigate through dynamic environments. Add to that a hyper-anthropomorphic design with an expressive face and slim waist, and Q5 offers not just function, but form that resonates with human familiarity.
Q5 isn’t a standalone thinker; it’s a responsive collaborator. It supports AI-powered natural dialogue, capable of context-aware conversations, high speech recognition, and smooth teleoperation via VR headsets and sensor gloves. This makes it particularly useful in environments where human presence is limited or delicate precision is required.
Q5 runs on the company’s proprietary EraAI platform, which enables end-to-end AI lifecycle management from collecting data via teleoperation to training models, running simulations, deploying updates, and continually learning in a closed-loop system. With over 4 hours of battery runtime, it’s designed for real-world operation at scale.
While Q5 may be the latest release, Robotera’s STAR1 model continues to impress with its high-performance abilities. Built with 55 degrees of freedom and powerful joints capable of 400Nm torque, STAR1 can move at speeds up to 25 radians per second—all while maintaining precision.
In a recently showcased demo, STAR1 used chopsticks to handle fragile items like dumplings, executed the cooking of buns, and even poured wine and clinked glasses in a traditional toast. These fine motor tasks underscore their potential not only in service industries but in cultural preservation through automation.
At the core of STAR1 is the XHAND1, a five-fingered robotic hand with 12 degrees of freedom and advanced tactile sensors capable of detecting texture and temperature. Each thumb and index finger boasts 3 DoF, with the remaining fingers offering 2 each, enabling realistic, nuanced movement. This hand can respond at 10 clicks per second, a feature that rivals the responsiveness of elite gamers, and it’s even integrated with the Apple Vision Pro for immersive AR/VR control.
