Battery Manufacturer to Deploy Humanoid Robots on the Assembly Line

Named Xiaomo, the humanoid robot can perform complex operations, such as high-precision battery connector insertion, marking a major milestone in applying embodied intelligence to advanced manufacturing.

Xiaomo was developed by Spirit AI, a Hangzhou-based robotics startup founded in 2024 with backing from CATL. The collaboration reflects CATL’s broader push to integrate advanced robotics and artificial intelligence into large-scale industrial environments.

Xiaomo aims to advance battery pack production by replacing human operators in critical end of line operations, such as functional testing of battery packs. This operation required workers to manually connect high-voltage test plugs, a task that posed risks of arcing and made it difficult to maintain consistent efficiency and quality.

Equipped with an advanced end-to-end vision-language-action model, Xiaomo demonstrates robust environmental perception and precise task execution. The robot autonomously handles uncertainties, such as variations in material positioning and connection points, dynamically adjusting its posture and modulating force during the insertion and removal of flexible wiring harnesses. This ensures reliable connections without damaging sensitive components.

In real-world operations, Xiaomo achieves a connection success rate exceeding 99 percent while maintaining cycle times comparable to those of skilled human workers. Beyond its primary functions, the robot actively monitors wiring harness connections and reports anomalies in real time, thereby reducing defect rates. During operational pauses, Xiaomo can switch to inspection mode, further enhancing production reliability and efficiency.

CATL said its humanoid robot Xiaomo is now handling continuous production tasks across multiple battery models, delivering a daily workload nearly three times higher than manual labor.