Midea Group has made its most ambitious stride yet in robotics. Beyond factory automation and smart appliances, the company is now developing full humanoid robots intended for both industrial and home use. Following its recent unveiling of “Meila” at WAIC, Midea has confirmed that the full-scale design for the first X series humanoid robot is complete and will enter validation next year.
Midea’s robotic roadmap unfolds in three tiers. The industrial robot “Meiluo” already performs tasks at Midea’s Jingzhou washing machine facility from data collection and equipment maintenance to materials handling and system inspection. Meanwhile, at the 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference, the home robot “Meila” made its global debut. Meila can interpret voice commands, brew coffee, open a refrigerator, and seamlessly integrate with Midea’s premium smart home ecosystem, offering a tangible glimpse of what a robotic household assistant can become.
The biggest leap, however, lies with the X series full humanoid platform, whose mechanical design is now finalized and under internal development. Midea plans to begin real-world testing as early as next year. Ahead still lies the U series “super-humanoid” concept, which pushes beyond conventional robot archetypes to imagine new forms and capabilities. That series remains in the conceptual and proof-of-concept stage.
Midea’s progress is grounded in technical performance. According to Xi Wei, Director of the Humanoid Robotics Innovation Center, the new joint actuators achieve a torque density of 240 Nm/kg, placing them among the most capable in the field. The robot’s structural components are being optimized for lightness, and critically, Midea has achieved full domestic production of core hardware, which promises rapid cost reduction. Wei forecasts that next year’s incremental cost savings may unlock broader deployment.
What distinguishes Midea’s approach is the integration of robots into its existing smart home ecosystem rather than seeing them as isolated gadgets. Shang Zhe, head of AI HOME at Midea’s high-end COLMO brand, describes a future where robots like Meila serve as the physical interface for a fully coordinated household: air, water, lighting, cooking, security and more. Robots become the agents that orchestrate complex commands across devices rather than mere add-ons.
From practical industrial deployment to concept-level domestic showcases, Midea’s design-for-validation of a full humanoid, its technical breakthroughs, and its rooted smart-home ecosystem all point to a multi-dimensional strategy. In a race where many compete solely on mobility or form, Midea’s dual strength in manufacturing scale and system integration might prove a distinctive edge.
Source: 77° Global Furnishings Media
