China's JAKA Unveils a Wheeled Humanoid and an Industrial Robot
The Chinese company JAKA unveiled two new industrial robots—the Kargo50 wheeled humanoid for transporting cargo and the Zu50 manipulator with a lifting capacity of up to 50 kg. The new products were showcased at the CIIF 2026 international industrial exhibition in Shanghai.
The Kargo50 expands the Kargo line of wheeled humanoid robots. It is designed to move containers and materials between workstations at industrial facilities.
However, JAKA has not yet disclosed the new model’s load capacity or other technical specifications.
During the development of the Kargo50, engineers drew on their experience in creating the smaller Kargo10 robot. According to the manufacturer, this model is already in widespread use at factories producing automotive components and high-tech electronics.
Thanks to on-site support from engineers at the facilities, the processing time for a single container has been reduced from 105 to 28 seconds. Additionally, it now takes 57 days to deploy the robot for a new work scenario.
The company’s second new product—the Zu50 industrial manipulator—was developed to perform tasks that require significant load capacity and precision of movement.
Key specifications of the Zu50:
- payload capacity—up to 50 kg;
- maximum operating radius—2.1 meters;
- axis rotation speed has increased by 50%.
The joints of the robotic arm are equipped with built-in drive and control modules designed for high specific power.
At the exhibition booth, JAKA demonstrated the coordinated operation of two wheeled humanoids during engine-related tasks.
The first robot delivers the unit to the desired location, while the second tightens the screws on it. After the operation is complete, both machines return to their starting positions.
The coordination of the robots’ work is ensured by the JAKA EVO operating system, which the company introduced last year.
Its architecture includes several levels of control. The cloud-based model is responsible for environmental perception, task planning, selecting the necessary skills, and making decisions in non-standard situations.
The peripheral model combines a rule-based system with motion planning and force control. A separate motion controller operates at a frequency of 1,000 Hz, ensuring control over the robots’ movements.
JAKA was founded in 2014. The company specializes in collaborative robots designed to interact with humans, as well as in embodied artificial intelligence technologies.
In June, the company also unveiled Pi, a compact humanoid robot. It stands 1.22 meters tall and weighs 42 kg.
The unveiling of the Kargo50 and Zu50 demonstrates JAKA’s direction of development: combining mobile robotic platforms, industrial manipulators, and artificial intelligence systems to automate manufacturing processes.
This was reported by Interesting Engineering.
Earlier, the 10th Chinese Opera Culture Week opened at the Garden and Exhibition Park in Beijing, China. The opening ceremony program combined traditional opera performances with artificial intelligence technologies: the digital character Xibao served as co-host, and robots performed traditional opera movements alongside the actors.
