China is about to begin deploying humanoid robots equipped with artificial intelligence to operate along one of its busiest borders, located near Vietnam. The initiative is part of a contract valued at approximately US$37 million, signed with UBTECH Robotics, which will supply units of the Walker S2 model.
The project is led by UBTECH Robotics Corp., a company based in Shenzhen that specializes in developing full-size humanoid robots for industrial and public service applications. The company is known for its work in so-called embodied intelligence, a form of artificial intelligence integrated directly into a physical robotic body, allowing the machines to interact autonomously with their surroundings.
According to UBTECH, the Walker S2 robots are designed to operate continuously, 24 hours a day, and are capable of handling dynamic and complex real-world scenarios, such as heavy traffic, constant human presence, and changing environmental conditions.
The initial deployment will take place as early as this December in Fangchenggang, a coastal city in the Guangxi region near the border with Vietnam. The area is an important logistics and tourism corridor, with daily traffic of cargo trucks, buses, and visitors making short trips between the two countries.
The adoption of these robots marks another step by China in integrating artificial intelligence and automation into strategic activities, raising debates about the future of surveillance, border security, and the role of machines in functions traditionally performed by humans.
Chinese planners see the border crossing as a tough and realistic test, because deadlines are tight and inspections cannot be easily interrupted.
If these robots perform reliably in such locations, it will be easier to justify similar deployments at airports, seaports, and busy train stations.
Inside the Walker S2 robots
The Walker S2 is an adult-sized humanoid machine with legs, a torso, and articulated arms, designed to move anywhere people already walk.
It uses an autonomous battery-swapping system, in which robots replace battery packs without human assistance, allowing it to operate with minimal downtime.
To maintain balance and avoid collisions, the robot combines cameras, depth sensors, and force feedback in its joints to monitor nearby movements.
This combination of hardware and software makes the Walker S2 closer to a general-purpose worker than many single-task factory machines.
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In the Fangchenggang project, Walker S2 units will assist border staff by guiding passenger lines, directing vehicles, and answering simple questions from travelers.
Some robots will patrol corridors and waiting areas, monitoring for blocked exits or crowding patterns that may require intervention by human agents.
Other units will move along cargo routes to support logistics teams, checking container IDs, confirming seals, and transmitting status updates to dispatch centers.
Images released earlier this month had already indicated something similar
Footage obtained by soldiers at the border and later shared on social media drew attention in early December for showing a different model of a robot soldier deployed near the country’s border with India.
The images reinforce the perception that China has already been testing the use of robotic systems in real surveillance and security scenarios, going beyond merely experimental or logistical support roles. The presence of this equipment in sensitive areas suggests that Chinese authorities are evaluating the performance of these machines under complex operational conditions, such as difficult terrain, climate variations, and constant personnel movement.
If this deployment pattern is confirmed, the use of different robot models along multiple borders points to a broader strategy of integrating autonomous and humanoid platforms into territorial security, potentially representing a significant shift in how the country monitors and protects strategic regions.