BYD's First Humanoid Robot Packs 31 Degrees of Freedom and a Millimeter-Precise Hand
BYD has revealed the design of its first self-developed humanoid robot through a newly published patent, a 1.61-meter machine built for dealership service and factory work.
Key Takeaways
BYD's patent, published October 9, 2026, describes a 1.61-meter, 58.5 kg humanoid robot with 31 degrees of freedom.
The robot's dexterous hand achieves ±1 mm repetitive positioning accuracy, enabling object grasping and gesture-based interaction.
BYD plans to deploy the robot in its dealership network for greeting customers and demonstrating vehicle features, alongside factory testing.
The design features a screen-free, rounded head and a black-and-white color scheme, built by a BYD robotics research team established in 2022.
BYD has already backed humanoid robot makers Agibot (2023) and Percibot (2025), positioning this in-house design as the next step in a broader embodied AI push.
Kaan Tınmaz
BYD has pulled back the curtain on its first self-developed humanoid robot, revealing the machine's design through a patent published by the China National Intellectual Property Administration on October 9, 2026. The robot stands 1.61 meters tall, weighs 58.5 kg, and moves with 31 degrees of freedom, according to CarNewsChina. The patent filing is the clearest look yet at a project BYD has kept largely under wraps since 2022.
The design patent describes the machine simply as an "Embodied AI Robot," though it is widely believed to correspond to the "Xiao Di" model BYD has teased in the past. BYD has not officially confirmed that link.
The carmaker's move puts it alongside a growing list of Chinese automakers racing to build their own humanoid robots rather than only investing in outside startups. Where Tesla's Optimus and Figure's robots have grabbed headlines in the West, BYD is betting that its manufacturing scale and existing dealership footprint give it a built-in testing ground and distribution channel that few robotics startups can match.
The hand's ±1 mm precision stands out as a meaningful spec, since fine manipulation remains one of the hardest unsolved problems in humanoid robotics. If BYD can pair that precision with reliable mass production, it could undercut dedicated humanoid robot makers on cost the same way it has in electric vehicles. For now, BYD says the robot is being tested inside company factories, with dealership deployment described as a future goal rather than an immediate rollout. No firm timeline or price has been disclosed.
The robot stands 1.61 meters (about 5'3") tall and weighs 58.5 kg, according to its published design patent.
What will BYD use its humanoid robot for?
BYD plans to deploy it in dealership settings for greeting customers and demonstrating vehicles, and is testing it in its own factories for industrial tasks.
Is BYD's humanoid robot called Xiao Di?
The patent describes it only as an 'Embodied AI Robot.' It is widely believed to be linked to the previously teased 'Xiao Di' model, but BYD has not confirmed this.
Has BYD invested in other humanoid robot companies?
Yes, BYD invested in Agibot in August 2023 and took a stake in Percibot in April 2025, alongside developing its own in-house robot.
