HKUST Builds 100-kg Humanoid Rover for Moon’s South Pole

A team led by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology has built a roughly 100-kilogram rover with a humanoid torso and four wheels that is scheduled to travel to the Moon on China’s Chang’e-8 mission in 2029. The rover is designed to move scientific instruments from the lander to designated sites, set up equipment and collect surface samples for return or in-place analysis.

The project was coordinated by the Hong Kong Space Robotics and Energy Center at HKUST and involved about 30 universities and space groups in Hong Kong, mainland China and several overseas partners. After Chang’e-8 lands at the lunar south pole, the vehicle will transport payloads across short distances, deploy sensors, operate tools and retrieve samples.

Gao Yang, director of the HKUST center, described the rover as “a novel demonstration of humanoid robotics on the moon” and said the team felt “very proud” of the design. He noted Chang’e-8 will target a different sector of the lunar south pole than the Chang’e-7 mission, which plans to land a separate humanoid robot in the same general region.

The rover pairs a humanoid upper body for manipulation tasks with a four-wheeled base for mobility and payload transport. Its mass of about 100 kilograms reflects a trade-off between carrying capacity and the payload limits of the Chang’e-8 lander.

China has listed embodied artificial intelligence as a priority in its 2026–2030 economic plan. The National Development and Reform Commission announced plans to deploy about 1 trillion yuan (roughly $138 billion) to support robotics, AI and related innovation.

Domestic robotics activity has included endurance and mobility demonstrations on Earth. In April 2026, a robot built by a smartphone manufacturer completed a half-marathon in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, a time faster than the human world record for that distance. Event organizers reported higher finish rates than the prior year.

The expansion of Chinese robotics has prompted policy action abroad. In March 2026, U.S. lawmakers introduced the American Security Robotics Act, bipartisan legislation that would bar federal agencies from purchasing or operating unmanned ground vehicles made by designated foreign adversaries; sponsors cited risks such as data exfiltration and remote takeover through hidden vulnerabilities. Apptronik CEO Jeff Cardenas told lawmakers, “We’re leading in AI, and I think we’re building some of the best robots in the world. But we need a national strategy if we’re going to continue to build and stay ahead.”

Chang’e-8 is one of several missions focused on the lunar south pole, where permanently shadowed regions and variable illumination make the area a target for studies of water ice and volatile compounds. Multiple robotic systems operating in different zones are planned to expand coverage; the HKUST-led rover will add manipulation and deployment capabilities to the campaign.