China has demonstrated a humanoid robot that has established direct communication with a satellite in low Earth orbit and operated without relying on ground infrastructure. The developers believe that the robots could be used in remote areas and during emergencies.
China has demonstrated a humanoid robot that has established direct communication with a satellite in low Earth orbit and operated without relying on ground infrastructure. The developers believe that the robots could be used in remote areas and during emergencies.
According to Interesting Engineering, X-Humanoid’s Embodied Tien Kung humanoid demonstrated a direct connection to GalaxySpace’s LEO internet satellite on January 23. The demonstration took place at the 3rd Beijing Commercial Space Industry High-Quality Development Promotion Conference. The report claims that the robot established a communication channel with the satellite with a «wing» integrated antenna design and transmitted visual data in real time.
The essence of the test was to check the operation «in the field» when there is no stable Internet from terrestrial operators. The authors write that this was the first demonstration for China of connecting multiple terminals and multiple communication channels through a new phased-array flat-panel satellite Internet terminal, and the system allegedly maintained stability without the support of terrestrial networks.
The robot was given an applied task: to get a symbolic certificate of completion of the project, which was lying in an unmanned car. The car independently drove from the state service center to the newly built Rocket Avenue. When the satellite passed over the location, the humanoid determined the «window» for a communication session, performed system checks and connected directly to the satellite. After that, it approached the car, took the document and moved it to another building.
During movement, data from the robot’s front camera and telemetry of its movements (including joint parameters) were transmitted to the communication channel. The data, according to the description, was transmitted to a satellite hundreds of kilometers up and returned almost instantly to the command center, where operators could observe the robot’s actions both from a «first-person» perspective and from external monitoring. To show that the network could withstand multiple devices, smartphones and computers were also connected to the connection.
The article also mentions Tien Kung’s previous public test: in February 2025, the robot allegedly climbed 134 steps in Haizi Wall Park in Beijing, demonstrating its performance in challenging outdoor conditions.
Connecting robots via low-orbit satellites is seen as a way to remove dependence on local communications infrastructure. If the channel is truly stable and suitable for transmitting video and telemetry, such solutions could be useful for inspections, emergency response, work in areas with poor coverage, and other scenarios where remote coordination and control are important.
Previously, dev.ua wrote about how Airbus has signed an agreement with UBTech Robotics and will involve the Walker S2 humanoid in work in the aircraft manufacturer’s production facilities. The tests are aimed not only at cheap labor, but also at autonomous replacement of the robot’s own battery, which should ensure continuous operation in 24/7 mode.
