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China Humanoid Robot Buyer Checklist 2026

Buyer-Side Procurement Tool

Buyer Checklist 2026

What Labs and R&D Teams Should Verify Before Buying a Chinese Humanoid Robot

University Labs Embodied-AI & R&D Technical Procurement

Edition

Public Research Edition

Sources Reviewed

10 September 2026

Pages

10 Sections

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China Humanoid Robot Buyer Checklist 2026

A Procurement Working Paper

How to Use This Checklist

Purpose & Evidence Labels

Use it to compare quotations, request missing evidence, and record the questions that must be resolved before a purchase order. The goal is not to find the “best robot” — it is to make the quoted configuration, software access, delivery and support specific enough to approve or hold.

Start With the Experiment

What must your team be able to do on the delivered robot in its first month?

Four-Step Workflow

Write down the exact robot, configuration and software versions being quoted.
Mark each requirement Must-have, Preferred or N/A. Explain any N/A.
Save the supporting document, version, date and responsible person.
Tick a box only when the requirement is resolved for your order.

Evidence Labels

Manufacturer-Confirmed

A traceable written answer for the exact configuration and intended use.

Publicly Documented

An identifiable public source describes the feature; it may cover another configuration or release.

Needs Direct Confirmation

Evidence is missing, incomplete or not yet matched to this order.

Scope Note

Public research edition. Order-specific manufacturer confirmations and physical platform testing are outside this checklist.

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Procurement Checklist

Part IConfiguration & Software Access

24 Verification Items Across Six Categories

1Configuration and Control Access

01

Exact configuration. List the manufacturer SKU, hardware revision, body and hand DOF, compute, sensors, batteries, accessories and quantities. Map reseller package names to this list.

Evidence, version or open question

02

Standard vs EDU or Research. Get a written comparison of development permissions, hardware differences, paid unlocks and upgrade restrictions.

Evidence, version or open question

03

Low-level control. Specify which leg, torso, arm and hand joints allow position, velocity, torque/current or impedance/PD commands. Identify read-only signals.

Evidence, version or open question

04

Control timing and handover. Confirm command and feedback rates, timeout behaviour and how external control interacts with the manufacturer controller. Obtain the approved recovery procedure.

Evidence, version or open question

2SDK, ROS and Simulation

05

SDK and API deliverables. Identify the source code, binaries, documentation and examples you receive, plus supported languages, processor architectures and operating systems.

Evidence, version or open question

06

ROS or ROS 2. Specify the distribution, middleware, message definitions, sensor drivers and control interfaces. Identify who maintains every bridge or package.

Evidence, version or open question

07

Simulation. Check Isaac Sim or Isaac Lab, MuJoCo and Gazebo separately. Request versions, assets, actuator models, control bridges and runnable examples.

Evidence, version or open question

08

Configuration match. Match the simulation joint order, limits, hands, sensors and dynamics to the quotation. List every simplified or unavailable feature.

Evidence, version or open question

Important

An imported robot model is only one part of a working simulation workflow. An Isaac Gym example does not establish Isaac Sim or Isaac Lab compatibility.

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Procurement Checklist

Part IIData, Hardware & Task Fit

VLA, Teleoperation, Sensors & Runtime

3VLA, Teleoperation and Data

09

VLA scope. Identify what is included: data collection, datasets, training code, model weights, inference runtime or a demonstrated task. Name model and software versions.

Evidence, version or open question

10

Teleoperation package. List the leader device or XR headset, cameras, host computer, hand controllers, calibration tools and software. Confirm which items cost extra.

Evidence, version or open question

11

Usable training data. Request a sample episode with time-aligned images, robot states and actions. Confirm timestamps, calibration, dropped-frame reporting, storage and export rights.

Evidence, version or open question

12

Demonstrated workflow. Ask for a configuration-matched capture, replay or inference demonstration. Record task conditions and failures as well as successful runs.

Evidence, version or open question

4Hardware and Task Performance

13

Compute. Separate the motion-control computer from resources available to your application. Confirm CPU/GPU, memory, storage, power, access and expansion options.

Evidence, version or open question

14

Hands and payload. Specify the end-effector model, active DOF, tactile sensing and control access. Define payload per arm or combined, including reach, posture and movement.

Evidence, version or open question

15

Sensors and interfaces. List exact sensor models, raw data access, calibration, connectors, protocols, bandwidth and available power. Distinguish measured forces from estimates.

Evidence, version or open question

16

Runtime and facility fit. Define task cycle, payload, compute load, battery state and temperature for runtime testing. Confirm charging, space, floor, lifting and power needs.

Evidence, version or open question

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Procurement Checklist

Part IIISafety, Delivery & Support

Ownership, Cost, Warranty & Clearance

5Safety, Software and Ownership

17

Stopping and recovery. Document emergency stop, protective stop, power-loss and communication-loss behaviour. Agree commissioning, operating boundaries and facility training.

Evidence, version or open question

18

Updates and restoration. Confirm whether updates can be deferred, how to restore the system and calibration, and how long the delivered software is supported.

Evidence, version or open question

19

Accounts and connectivity. Identify activation, download and runtime dependencies. Confirm account ownership, staff handover, offline operation and recurring charges.

Evidence, version or open question

20

Licensing and IT approval. Review code, model, dataset and asset licences separately. Confirm rights, data export, telemetry, remote access and network requirements.

Evidence, version or open question

6Cost, Delivery and Support

21

Complete cost. Obtain an itemised quote covering accessories, licences, freight, insurance, taxes, installation, training, spares and recurring support. Keep unknown costs visible.

Evidence, version or open question

22

Delivery and acceptance. Specify contracting entity, trade term, importer responsibilities, battery documents, delivery milestones, acceptance tests and remedies for non-conformance.

Evidence, version or open question

23

Warranty and repairs. Confirm coverage for research use, permitted modifications, development-related damage, replacement parts and calibration. Document cost responsibility.

Evidence, version or open question

24

Support and procurement clearance. Name the support provider, location, language, response commitments, training scope and spares lead times. Obtain relevant institutional and trade approvals.

Evidence, version or open question

For Each Compatibility Claim

Record the robot SKU, hardware revision, joints and hands, firmware, SDK or repository version, OS or ROS release, simulator version, use case, source and date.

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Pre-Purchase Gate

Do Not Issue the PO Until These 10 Items Are Confirmed

Hold Rule & Decision Gate

Hold Rule

For each item, record a document reference, owner and date. A required unresolved item means Hold. A formally approved deviation remains a deviation; it is not a verified capability.

Decision

Ready for internal approval Hold Approved with documented deviations

Decision Owner and Date

Outstanding Requirement / Consequence / Action Owner / Due Date

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Buyer Requirements Worksheet — A

Project and Purchase

Turn General Interest Into a Reviewable Brief

Purpose

Turn general interest into a requirements brief that technical and procurement teams can actually review.

Organisation or Lab

Technical Contact / Role / Work Email

Procurement Decision-Maker or Approval Process

Primary Use

First Experiment and Measurable Success Criteria

Shortlisted Manufacturer / Model / Configuration

Quantity Now / Possible Expansion

Budget Amount / Currency

Budget Basis

Per robot Total project Still being defined

Budget Reserved for First Three Years of Support and Operation

Funding Status or Constraints

Delivery Country / City / Facility

Importer or Logistics Owner, if Known

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Buyer Requirements Worksheet — B

Technical Fit and Integration

Stack, Interfaces, Skills & Acceptance Criteria

Operating System + Version / ROS Distribution / Middleware

Simulator + Version

Languages / Frameworks / Target Models / Data Format

Existing Workstation or GPU Resources

Control Access Required

Hands / End Effectors / Tactile Requirements

Object Mass / Reach / Posture / Task Speed

Sensors / External Interfaces / Data Rates

Runtime Target and Task Cycle

Integration Team Size / Available Person-Weeks

Work the Supplier Must Complete Before Handover

Task Fit

Write acceptance criteria as: task + quoted configuration + test conditions + data to retain + pass/fail result. Avoid a stand-alone claim such as “supports ROS 2”.

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Buyer Requirements Worksheet — C/D

Support, Constraints and Timing

Training, Repairs, Network, Deadlines & Decisive Requirements

Training Language / Participants / Preferred Format

Support Location / Time Zone

Maximum Acceptable Downtime

Safety / Facility / IT Contact

Network Restrictions

Offline required No external telemetry Controlled remote access Institution review needed

Tender / Funding / Import / Procurement Restrictions

Target Selection Date / PO Date

Required Arrival Date / First Experiment

Hard Deadline and Consequence of Delay

Three Requirements That Decide This Purchase

1.
2.
3.

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Evidence Capture

Supplier Answer Record

One Record Per Material Supplier Answer

Copy This Page

Use one record per material supplier answer. A distributor response is not automatically manufacturer-confirmed.

Question or Requirement

Exact Configuration and Hardware or Software Version

Supplier Answer and Limitations

Source Link or Attached Document / Version / Date

Manufacturer or Seller Contact / Organisation / Role

Demonstration or Test Conditions and Result

Open Issue / Impact / Next Action / Owner / Due Date

Evidence Classification

Manufacturer-confirmed Publicly documented Needs direct confirmation

Evidence Hygiene

Attach the quotation, manual, support email or test log to the reference above. Preserve the exact hardware configuration and software version in every supplier answer.

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Research Notes

Sources and Next Step

Selected Source Material & Scope

Public sources were reviewed on 10 September 2026. Product pages, terms and code repositories can change. Reconfirm time-sensitive specifications, support terms and applicable rules for the actual purchase.

Selected Source Material

Source	Use in This Checklist
Unitree G1 configuration table	Configuration, research access and warranty table
Unitree after-sales terms	Warranty scope and development-related exclusions
Unitree Isaac Lab examples	Model and end-effector-specific examples
LimX TRON 2 SDK guide	High and low-level interface documentation
Fourier GR-1 training guide	Separate Isaac Gym and MuJoCo references
Galaxea R1 ROS 2 guide	Configuration-specific software interfaces
ROKAE product catalogue	Distinguishes complete platforms and arm products

Scope

This checklist supports requirements gathering and evidence capture. It does not replace your institution’s technical, safety, legal or procurement approval.

Turn Your Shortlist Into a Verification Plan

Evaluating a Chinese robot for your lab or R&D team?

Share your intended use, shortlisted configuration and the questions you cannot yet resolve.

Submit requirements at voltchina.net/robotics