China has unveiled an AI-powered humanoid robot that it plans to send to the Moon as part of its 2029 Chang’e-8 mission. Designed by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), the 100-kilogram robot will act as a porter to transport and install instruments at various lunar locations ahead of a crewed landing.
The robot features a humanoid upper body with two arms set atop a four-wheeled module equipped with solar panels. Professor Gao Yang of HKUST told the South China Morning Post: 'We have heard that Chang’e-7 is probably going to see the first humanoid robot landing on the [Moon’s] south pole. But our robot will go to a different part of the south pole – it is a very large area and we are curious about all of it.'
She added that the robot's onboard artificial intelligence will be able to 'identify and trace objects, allowing it to formulate a strategy before executing a task.' China is planning to send humans to the lunar surface by 2030, having pursued a highly ambitious space programme over the last few decades.
In comparison, Nasa is aiming to return astronauts to the Moon by 2028 as part of the Artemis IV mission, though the timeline has shifted several times due to technical hurdles. Some experts warn that delays could allow China to beat the US in the race to return humans to the Moon.
