Overview

Yao-Shun-Yu is the project name of a humanoid robot being developed by BYD, China's largest electric vehicle manufacturer. The project was kept secret for a long time and was only publicly confirmed in 2026. A finished product or release date does not yet exist.

Technology and AI

According to the company, the project was launched in 2022 and is located within BYD in the 15th business unit, which focuses on electronic integration and intelligence. BYD points to a team of over 4000 people working on autonomous driving and announces extensive investments in AI and vehicle intelligence. The basic idea is to use BYD's own technology from vehicle manufacturing, such as batteries, motors, and AI, for the robot. Whether BYD manufactures the robot entirely in-house remains unclear; an open platform that integrates components and software from third parties is conceivable.

Market Significance

BYD is likely to be the largest customer for the robots itself initially. The company mentions reception at its growing network of branches and tasks in its own production as possible fields of application. The project is part of a broader trend in which Chinese automotive manufacturers are venturing into embodied AI.