- Q1 and T1 start shipping October 1, bringing humanoid robots closer to mass-market consumers
- The robots connect to Tencent WorkBuddy and can access thousands of AI skills
For the price of a high-end MacBook Pro or DJI’s Mavic 4 Pro, you can now lay your hands on your personal humanoid robot.
PrimeBot (启元机器人), a Shanghai-based consumer robotics startup, launched two personal robots in Shanghai on September 20, with prices starting at 19,999 yuan ($2,986) and deliveries due to begin October 1.
The PrimeBot Q1 starts at 19,999 yuan for the standard version and 26,999 yuan for the Explorer edition, while the T1 starts at 19,999 yuan and reaches 29,999 yuan for the Pro version.
Both models are available for immediate purchase, with orders shipping sequentially from October 1.
Personal companion bots
The company’s first seven experience stores will open in cities including Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, a company spokesperson said at a launch event.
The 88-centimeter, 15-kilogram Q1 is designed for home companionship and tech entertainment. PrimeBot calls it the world’s first compact full-body force-controlled humanoid that can fit into a backpack.
The roughly 1-meter T1 can autonomously switch between wheeled humanoid and quadruped modes. It also supports follow-me filming and autonomous charging.
Both robots connect to Tencent’s WorkBuddy, an AI productivity platform, giving them access to thousands of cloud-based skills.
The integration allows users to combine AI-driven task understanding with the robots’ physical capabilities.
Beyond trade-show demos
The launch marks a push by Chinese robotics companies to move humanoids from trade-show demonstrations to products that consumers can actually buy and receive.
PrimeBot’s parent, Shanghai Swancore Advanced Materials (上纬新材), plans to invest about 500 million yuan in R&D in 2026. PrimeBot says a robot rolls off its production line every 2.5 minutes.
The consumer humanoid market is becoming increasingly crowded as Chinese manufacturers cut prices and accelerate launches.
Unitree’s R1, for example, starts at 26,900 yuan, while industry estimates put China’s humanoid robot output at more than 100,000 units in 2026.
The next drone or smart speaker?
PrimeBot is betting on a consumer model built around relatively affordable hardware and an open AI ecosystem.
At 19,999 yuan, its robots sit closer to the price range of high-end consumer electronics than traditional industrial robots.
The bigger question is whether personal robots can develop into a mass consumer category like drones and smart speakers once hardware becomes affordable and widely available.
For now, PrimeBot is testing whether consumers are ready to put a physical AI assistant in their homes — a test the global robotics industry will be watching closely in the months ahead.
Header image credit: PrimeBot’s official WeChat
