Dongfeng's humanoid robot set for factory deployment in october 2026

Dongfeng Auto's humanoid robot, 'Xiaodong,' is set to enter factories in October 2026, focusing on tasks like sorting and quality inspection in manufacturing. By year-end 2026, the robot will undergo small-scale trials, with full capabilities expected by late 2027. Dongfeng's chief engineer, Zhang Zhenlin, emphasized that these robots will enable cross-domain reuse with automotive AI models, accelerating commercialization. He also noted that future embodied intelligence could extend beyond robots to include vehicles. Dongfeng's quadruped robot, 'Yuanzi,' is expected to be deployed faster in 4S store scenarios. Both robots were showcased at the 2026 World Robotics Conference in August. 'Xiaodong' is specifically designed for material sorting in automotive production, evolving toward flexible task execution. 'Yuanzi' supports autonomous navigation, multimodal perception, and intelligent interaction, suitable for diverse applications like park patrols and smart services.