UBTech and Foxconn have signed a ‘comprehensive long-term partnership’ to deploy more robots in the iPhone maker’s factories. Shenzhen-based UBTech Robotics, China’s largest humanoid robot manufacturer, will partner with Apple supplier Foxconn to deploy robots in factories to assist with complex manufacturing tasks, including the assembly of iPhones. UBTech’s chief brand officer, Michael Tam, highlighted the collaboration at a South China Morning Post conference, emphasizing that their robots are being trained for 3C (computers, communications, consumer electronics) production.

Under the partnership, UBTech will test the feasibility of using humanoid robots for moving, sorting, and quality inspection tasks to enhance worker health based on Foxconn’s requirements. The two companies will also work to improve the robots’ motion, perception, and decision-making capabilities and establish a laboratory to explore more applications and technologies.

This initiative reflects the growing interest from Chinese companies to develop humanlike robots and integrate them into various industries as part of a broader push for automation. UBTech aims to release an upgraded version of their existing Walker S1 robot in the second quarter of this year.