First impressions count as Chinese buyers open their homes to UBTech’s consumer humanoids

When 39-year-old Beijing investor Song shelled out 159,800 yuan (US$23,680) for a companion robot, he knew it would not be cooking meals or scrubbing floors. For him, becoming one of China’s first owners of a consumer humanoid was more about embracing the cutting edge. “The happiest part is often the waiting,” Song said of his decision to buy the female version of the U1 Pro, made by Shenzhen-based UBTech Robotics. For years, humanoid robots have been confined to factory floors and structured...