Reception and Service Humanoid Robots in 2026: Real Uses and Limits

Humanoid robots are starting to find a place in shops, reception areas and hotel service demonstrations. In China, AgiBot has deployed 100 X2 robots in as many stores. AiMOGA is showcasing commercial applications, and UBTech is positioning its Uworld U1 range for reception and companion work. These initiatives show concrete uses, but with different levels of deployment and autonomy.

A reception robot can present a product, direct a visitor or answer questions. In the cases documented in 2026, these functions take several forms: deployment in stores, public demonstrations or capability showcases by manufacturers. The Usages section places these applications within the various sectors that humanoid robotics is exploring.

To understand their value in retail or hospitality, three things matter most: the tasks the robots actually perform, the conditions under which they perform them and the role that human staff keep.

AgiBot X2: 100 humanoid robots deployed in Chinese retail stores

The most concrete case involves AgiBot and ASD, a Chinese retailer specialising in kitchenware and listed in Shenzhen under the code 002403. In a press release dated 28 September 2026, AgiBot announced the placement of 100 X2 humanoid robots in 100 stores across the chain.

The operation includes a live stream held from 28 to 30 September 2026 from stores in Wenling, Shanghai and Wuxi. The demonstrations are scheduled for ten hours a day, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

According to AgiBot, the X2 acts as a sales assistant. Its functions include:

• Greeting visitors and asking initial questions about their needs.
• Presenting kitchenware.
• Recommending products based on household size, cooking habits and budget.
• Directing customers around the store.

The manufacturer also sets out a precise division of responsibilities. Promotions, stock availability and completing purchases remain the job of human sales staff.

This arrangement gives the robot an assisting role in the customer journey. AgiBot mentions several deployment formats: flagship stores, hypermarkets, community events and service hubs.

AgiBot co-founder Zhihui Peng points out that commercial environments pose a different challenge from controlled demonstrations. There, the robot has to interact with visitors and operate in situations specific to how a store runs.

AgiBot’s hotel and service robot demonstrations in Hong Kong

On 9 October 2026, AgiBot opened an office at Times Square, in Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay district. The event was accompanied by demonstrations related to reception and services.

The robots on show greeted guests, illustrated hotel services and made tea. Object handling involved dexterous hands.

AgiBot presents retail, hospitality and entertainment as testing grounds. The company also plans an international research and development headquarters and laboratories with Hong Kong universities.

These demonstrations complement the X2’s in-store experience. They focus more on interaction with visitors and on handling objects in a service setting.

AiMOGA and Chery: robots for reception, wayfinding and checkout-free retail

AiMOGA, which is associated with carmaker Chery, is developing several robotics applications for services. At the Chery International User Summit, held in Wuhu from 19 to 23 October 2026, the company announced demonstrations across different sectors.

In reception, healthcare robots are to illustrate visitor wayfinding. The Mornine model is associated with live streaming and checkout-free retail.

The programme also includes police robots for patrol and traffic control demonstrations, as well as the Argos Pro quadruped, presented for autonomous following and load carrying. The latter belongs to a different category from humanoids.

AiMOGA claims more than 100 use cases, covering car dealerships, shops, public services, security, education and healthcare, among others.

The company also says it has delivered more than 3,000 units in total, across all models, in more than 60 countries and regions. These figures cover its overall business, not the Mornine robot alone or its retail installations.

UBTech Uworld U1: price and uses of a reception and elderly care range

UBTech positions its Uworld U1 series for several service activities: reception, hospitality, tourism, exhibitions and companionship for elderly people.

The range comes in three variants: U1 Lite, U1 Pro and U1 Ultra. It combines different body types with a humanoid presentation designed for interaction with the public.

UBTech lists a starting price of RMB 119,800. This is an entry-level price, not the cost of installing the robot in a French establishment.

The announced uses cover both spaces that receive visitors and companion care situations. They reflect the commercial positioning presented by UBTech.

Reception and service robots compared: 2026 overview

The three models below come from different brands. Their applications cover assisted selling, visitor wayfinding and hotel reception. The information comes from the manufacturers’ own communications, with their dates and how far each project has actually gone.

This table is not a performance ranking. The X2 is part of an identified commercial operation, Mornine appears in a demonstration programme and Uworld U1 is presented through the uses claimed by UBTech.

How to choose a reception robot: key criteria

Choosing a platform for retail or hospitality depends first on the intended task. The documented examples point to several criteria.

Type of interaction with the public

At ASD, the X2 handles product presentation and sales recommendations. The healthcare robots presented by AiMOGA are associated with visitor wayfinding. UBTech cites reception and companion functions.

These tasks do not necessarily call on the same capabilities. Presenting a product, guiding a visitor and handling an object are distinct functions.

Physical handling of objects

AgiBot’s Hong Kong demonstrations included making tea and using dexterous hands. In the ASD stores, the functions described mainly concern sales interaction and wayfinding.

Articulated hands are therefore a criterion linked to the physical tasks expected, particularly when a service requires picking up or moving objects.

Level of autonomy and human supervision

Robot demonstrations can take the form of prepared sequences, trained tasks or operator-assisted interactions. In the case of the X2, AgiBot specifies which responsibilities stay with the sales staff.

Comparing systems means looking at the length of the sequences, the human interventions required and the functions actually performed during operation.

Integration into day-to-day operations

The ASD case shows a division of work between the robotic assistant and the employees responsible for stock, promotions and closing sales. This arrangement is part of how the set-up is announced to work.

Other economic criteria include integration costs, maintenance, safety, data management and day-to-day operation. eWeek identifies these among the components of the total cost of a robot used in business.

What regulations apply to robots that serve the public?

Service robots fall under several areas of regulation, including product safety, liability and data protection.

In Spain, an analysis by Sonke Lund of the law firm Ecija describes hotel chains and airports using robots to greet the public. It highlights the requirements for compliance, technical documentation and human supervision when humanoid systems are brought to market.

This analysis considers that most humanoids could fall into the category of high-risk artificial intelligence systems under the AI Act. This is the legal assessment as reported, not an individual classification of each model.

For France, an analysis by legal expert Thiébaut Devergranne published on 18 August 2026 points to two deadlines in the European regulation on artificial intelligence:

• 2 December 2027 for high-risk systems covered by Annex III.
• 2 August 2028 for systems built into regulated products covered by Annex I.

The CE marking required by the AI Act applies to high-risk AI systems. Robots may also fall under the Machinery Regulation. The applicable framework depends on the nature of the system and how it is used.

What we do not know yet

Several pieces of information essential to assessing a professional reception robot remain undisclosed or insufficiently documented as of 21 October 2026.

• Price of service robots: prices for the AgiBot X2 and AiMOGA Mornine have not been disclosed. The total cost of integrating and operating these systems has not been established.
• Actual autonomy in stores: how autonomous the X2’s interactions were during the retail live streams has not been detailed. The level of autonomy in AgiBot’s Hong Kong demonstrations and in the UBTech Uworld U1 has not been specified.
• Customer feedback: no figures have been provided on visitor satisfaction, the quality of interactions or the commercial results of the installations presented.
• Availability in France: no French sales or installations of these three models are confirmed in the available information.
• Human supervision: the exact obligations that apply in France to each of these systems, depending on their functions and regulatory classification, have yet to be clarified.

See also: Unitree and its humanoid robots, Unitree G1: specifications and versions, Unitree R1: developer platform, Figure AI and its humanoids, Boston Dynamics and its robots, Humanoid robot prices and Buying a humanoid robot in France.