FEATURE Robotics
THE ROBOTS ARE COMING
AGIBOT’s formal launch in the UK took place in London in June, bringing a broad portfolio of humanoid, industrial, quadruped and cleaning robots to the British market, and building a local partner ecosystem for physical AI
A
t the end of June, AGIBOT, a global leader in embodied AI and robotics, hosted its UK AGIBOT Partner Conference (APC) 2026 in London.
This marks a key step in the company’s European growth strategy and its continued effort to build long-term commercial value for humanoid robotics through technology innovation, real-world deployment, and local partnerships. The event brought together
product innovation, flexible commercial models, and local deployment practices, with highlights including the European debut of AGIBOT A3, the introduction of a UK Robot-as-a-Service (RaaS) model and the company’s continued collaboration with local partners to explore real- world applications in the UK.
“The UK is a strategically important market
for AGIBOT’s global expansion,” said William Shi, President of EU and US Markets at AGIBOT. “It has a strong innovation ecosystem, a mature partner network, and diverse real- world scenarios where embodied AI can create value. Through UK APC2026, we hope to work more closely with local partners to bring AGIBOT’s technologies, products, and service capabilities into practical applications, and to use the UK as an important starting point for broader deployment across Europe.” One of those partners is Scancom, an AGIBOT UK Master Distributor. Shyen Kotecha, Head of Robotics & Connectivity, said. “By combining AGIBOT’s robotics capabilities with Scancom’s
16 July/August 2026 | Automation
local channels, customer access, logistics, and service support, we believe we can help accelerate the practical adoption of embodied AI robots across education,
retail, commercial services, logistics, and other real-world scenarios.” As one of the key highlights
of UK APC2026, AGIBOT marked the European debut of AGIBOT A3, its new- generation humanoid robot. AGIBOT A3 features a
lightweight 55 kg body supported by magnesium alloy and titanium alloy reinforcement, a dual-battery system that delivers up to 10 hours of nominal battery life, and 10-second battery swapping for extended operation. Standing 173 cm tall with a 1:9 head-to- body ratio, AGIBOT A3 is designed to combine stronger motion performance, longer operating time, and a more
natural appearance. A key part of AGIBOT’s UK strategy is
the introduction of a local Robot-as-a-Service (RaaS) model developed together with its UK partners. Designed to make advanced embodied AI robots more accessible without requiring large upfront investment, the model combines AGIBOT’s robot products and embodied AI capabilities with local partners’ logistics, service, technical support, and customer delivery resources. In the UK, AGIBOT humanoid robots will be available for rent starting from £1,999 per day for humanoid robot, while quadruped robots will be available starting from £899 per day, with localised deployment and operational support. The RaaS model is designed for a wide range of real-world scenarios, including
education, university research, exhibitions, customer engagement, commercial services, logistics, and facility operations. AGIBOT has already begun local retail deployment and scenario showcases in the UK, including at Smart City, a retail venue in Milton Keynes operated by Smart City Consultancy, where visitors can experience AGIBOT robots in consumer-facing environments.
The deployment is designed to explore
how AGIBOT robots can support customer attraction, traffic engagement, reception, guided interaction, brand promotion, and smart retail experiences in shopping malls and commercial spaces. By working with local partners in real-world retail environments, AGIBOT is testing how embodied AI robots can create more interactive, flexible, and service-oriented customer experiences in the UK. The launch event concluded with an industry panel discussion featuring leaders from ARM, AWS, NVIDIA and Oxford Robotics Institute. The panel discussed the excitement and challenges of physical AI, with key points including the potential for robots to interact more closely with humans and environments, and unlocking economic opportunities in sectors like transportation, manufacturing and logistics. Challenges highlighted were robustness and dexterous manipulation. The importance of efficient computing, cloud integration, and synthetic data were also emphasized. The panel agreed on the need for continuous learning and efficient power management. They also agreed that misconceptions about humanoid robots included overestimating their capabilities and concerns about job replacement. This ‘fear factor’ was dispelled through the argument that robots will augment human labour rather than replace it. Robots are designed to handle repetitive or hazardous tasks that many people don’t want to do, freeing up humans for more creative work.
AGIBOT
www.agibot.com
automationmagazine.co.uk
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