At the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing this August, spectators witnessed robots sprinting at superhuman speeds and breaking high‑jump records. In a quieter corner of the hall, however, the focus shifted to everyday chores: making beds, serving drinks and folding laundry. One Chinese‑designed humanoid paused mid‑fold to pick up a package at the door, then resumed its task.
China, already a leader in factory and warehouse robots, is now pushing to dominate the home‑robot market. Dreame Technology, best known for its robot vacuums that rival Dyson and iRobot, is spearheading this effort. 29‑year‑old Jianghao Huo, chief technology officer of Dreame’s embodied‑intelligence division, says the company aims to build a robot that can cook, clean, do laundry and shop, freeing people from drudgery.
Market analysts predict the personal‑robot sector will reach US$22.1 billion in 2026, up from US$18.1 billion in 2025, and could hit US$90.9 billion by 2033. Elon Musk’s Tesla and Sam Altman’s OpenAI have also announced plans for affordable humanoids. China currently accounts for 97 % of humanoid shipments in the first half of 2026, with Shanghai‑based Agibot and Hangzhou‑based Unitree Robotics leading the volume.
Huo studied computer science at Tsinghua University and worked at the university’s Skyworks group before joining Dreame. Over six years she has developed AI algorithms for smart home devices. Her team at Dreame’s Suzhou headquarters is now integrating new AI models and custom training data into the company’s core vacuum platform, which already shipped 1.5 million units in Q1.
In September, Dreame showcased the Echo S1, a wheeled robot that takes voice commands, sorts garments by fabric and colour, selects wash routines, loads and unloads the washer, and folds clothes. The Echo P1, also unveiled in Berlin, demonstrated basic household chores such as moving objects and monitoring the home.
Next year, the firm plans to release a dual‑arm, above‑table‑height droid that can clean and organise table tops, and eventually operate appliances like dishwashers, ovens and air fryers. While commercial launch dates and pricing remain undisclosed, Huo believes large‑scale deployment will take two to three years, largely due to cost reductions needed for affordability.
According to MIT professor Sanjay Sarma, home robots are harder to build than factory machines because they require higher dexterity, sensitivity and adaptability to ever‑changing environments. Huo’s team has tackled these challenges with three core technologies: a perception system to sense surroundings, an AI world model to understand home dynamics, and an intelligent control system that translates perception into action.
Huo envisions a future where a single robot coordinates multiple appliances, manages grocery orders and becomes more than a household appliance. She hopes household robot penetration could exceed 70 % and imagines a world where machines support or even replace human chores.
