Chinese robotics player PNDbotics turned heads at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai (WAIC 2025), showcasing for the first time its full-sized humanoid Adam alongside its data‑collection counterpart Adam‑U.
Adam, standing around 1.67 m tall with up to 44 degrees of freedom and powered by cutting‑edge DRL and imitation‑learning algorithms, impressed with fluid, human‑like motion.
Adam‑U—a 31‑DoF stationary platform built in partnership with Noitom and Inspire—is aimed at high‑precision motion capture and AI training. However, Adam U, who appeared at the event, was also equipped with legs.
Recently, humanoid robot Adam wowed crowds in China, playing keytar live with Hu Yutong’s band in a remarkable fusion of music and robotics.
AI takes stage
In a video posted by the firm, PNDbotics makes a grand debut at WAIC 2025, featuring the highly anticipated joint appearance of two robots: Adam, a full-sized humanoid, and Adam‑U, its intelligent data-collection counterpart.
The footage emphasizes their sleek designs, synchronized movements, and the synergy between humanoid hardware and advanced AI systems. It’s a high-impact showcase of robotics innovation and cutting-edge AI integration.
“From real-time motion capture demos to an electrifying dance battle, the robots wowed the crowd and brought cutting-edge robotics to life with unforgettable energy and precision,” reads the description of the YouTube video.
Adam-U is an advanced data acquisition platform developed in partnership with Noitom Robotics and Inspire Robots. Unveiled last week, the robot was officially set to launch at WAIC 2025. Adam-U was made available for pre-order at $45,000.
Built for AI research and training, it integrates Noitom’s PNLink motion capture suit and Inspire’s RH56E2 6-DOF dexterous hand, forming a robust end-to-end ecosystem. Adam-U features 31 degrees of freedom, including a 2-DOF head, 6-DOF hands, a 3-DOF waist with a braking system, and a binocular vision system for human-like perception.
It can perform tasks such as object manipulation, hanging clothes, and even dancing, supporting reinforcement and imitation learning. With adjustable height (1.35–1.77 m) and weighing 134 pounds (61 kilograms), Adam-U offers precision and safety on a stationary platform.
According to PNDbotics, Adam-U enhances usability and flexibility by evolving from the 2023 Adam Lite model, making it ideal for research labs, academic institutions, and intelligent robotics development.
Dynamic mobility engineered
Adam, on the other hand, is a 1.6-meter-tall, 132-pound (60 kilograms) humanoid robot developed by PNDbotics for high agility and precision.
Equipped with 25 patented quasi-direct drive (QDD) actuators capable of delivering up to 360 Nm of torque, Adam achieves smooth and powerful movement.
PNDbotics claims that its arms have five degrees of freedom and the waist has three, allowing for balanced posture and deft manipulation, while its legs include high-sensitivity actuators for steady movement.
The modular design and biomimetic torso enable full-body motion similar to a human’s.
With a real-time network and an Intel i7-based PND Control Unit, Adam’s full-stack control system ensures accurate limb coordination. Without visual input, it can move and balance like a person thanks to a proprietary reinforcement learning system trained using large datasets and simulations.
The PNDbotics team has been working to strengthen Adam’s legs and optimize its actuators for dynamic situations, such as congested or uneven spaces, since the project’s inception in June 2023. High-precision motion capture was added to public datasets, and motion data was specially adjusted to meet Adam’s structure.
The company claims that this improvement enables Adam to complete challenging jobs more precisely. Its modular actuator design also facilitates adaptation for service applications and makes maintenance easier.