China's Kaiwa Technology Unveils Pregnancy Humanoid Robot with Artificial Womb

China's Kaiwa Technology develops pregnancy humanoid robot with artificial womb technology

Kaiwa Technology, based in Guangzhou, announced plans for the world's first humanoid robot equipped with artificial womb technology. The company targets a 2026 market debut with pricing below 100,000 yuan ($13,900). The humanoid robot incorporates an artificial womb embedded in its abdomen, designed to carry a fetus through gestation and deliver a baby. The technology aims to provide pregnancy alternatives for individuals seeking to avoid biological gestation burdens. Also read: 'Real Steel' gets real: Robots fight in boxing match at world robot expo in China Zhang Qifeng, Kaiwa Technology founder and Nanyang Technological University affiliate, presented the concept at the 2025 World Robot Conference in Beijing. The announcement has generated public discussion regarding ethical considerations and potential applications for infertility treatment. The core innovation centers on artificial womb technology utilizing artificial amniotic fluid and nutrient delivery systems. According to Zhang, the fetus develops within artificial amniotic fluid while receiving nutrients through connected tubes, mimicking natural gestation conditions. "It is not merely an incubator but a life-sized humanoid equipped with an artificial womb in its abdomen, capable of replicating the entire process from conception to delivery," Zhang stated. Zhang indicated the artificial womb technology demonstrates maturity in laboratory settings and requires integration into humanoid form to enable human-robot interaction during pregnancy processes. Zhang reported conducting discussions with Guangdong Province authorities regarding ethical and legal considerations. Related proposals have been submitted as part of ongoing policy and legislative deliberations for the pregnancy humanoid robot technology. The company anticipates completing a prototype within one year, maintaining the under-$13,900 price point for market accessibility. Also read: Chinese robot maker AGIBot completes new round of financing Artificial womb research has demonstrated promising results in animal studies. In 2017, researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia successfully nurtured a premature lamb equivalent to 23 weeks human pregnancy in a "biobag" system. The transparent vinyl sac contained warm, saline-based artificial amniotic fluid with nutrients delivered via umbilical cord tube connection. The lamb developed wool growth within four weeks during the study period. Current artificial womb systems function as neonatal incubators supporting life after partial gestation. Zhang's concept requires advancement to support fertilization, implantation, and full-term pregnancy development. The 2025 World Robot Conference also featured GEAIR, the world's first AI-powered breeding robot developed by the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The system integrates artificial intelligence and biotechnology for agricultural breeding applications. Researchers used gene editing techniques to create male-sterile flowers, enabling efficient hybrid seed production through robotic pollination. The technology combines "de novo domestication" and "speed breeding" methods to form an intelligent robotic breeding factory. GEAIR has been applied to develop male-sterile soybean systems, potentially increasing China's hybrid breeding capacity and crop yields. The project establishes a closed-loop system for intelligent, fully autonomous robotic breeding operations. Also read: Humanoid robot in China enrolls for PhD in drama and film. Says, 'If I fail, I'll be donated to a museum' "With biotechnology as the foundation, AI as the driver, and robotics as the operator, the innovation demonstrates China's leading role in merging AI with biological breeding," according to research team statements. The autonomous breeding robot performs cruising and cross-pollination functions to reduce costs, shorten breeding cycles, and improve efficiency in agricultural production systems.

'Pregnancy robots' could give birth to human children in...

What a time to be alive -- people are marrying AI bots, and now robots might soon be able to carry babies. Reportedly, China is working on designing a bot with an artificial womb -- which will receive nutrients through a hose -- in its abdomen that will soon be able to carry a fetus for approximately 10 months before giving birth, according to Chosun Biz. The "pregnancy robot" was conceptualized by Dr. Zhang Qifeng, founder of Kaiwa Technology, which is based in Guangzhou -- a city in China. If all goes according to plan, the prototype will make its debut next year. For those struggling to conceive, hiring a humanoid to carry their baby will cost 100,000 yuan, $13,927.09 -- a price significantly less than a human surrogate, which can cost someone in the US anywhere from $100,000 to $200,000. "The artificial womb technology is already in a mature stage, and now it needs to be implanted in the robot's abdomen so that a real person and the robot can interact to achieve pregnancy, allowing the fetus to grow inside," Qifeng told Chosun Biz. Many questions are still unanswered at this time, including how the egg and sperm will be fertilized and inserted into the womb and how the bot will give birth. Obviously, with this sort of technology comes a lot of questions and concerns regarding ethical and legal issues. "We have held discussion forums with authorities in Guangdong Province and submitted related proposals while discussing policy and legislation," the doctor said, addressing people's uneasiness towards this. Speaking of freaky bots -- a humanoid was spotted walking around Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan earlier this month, doing everything from grabbing a hot dog to trying on sneakers. The intent behind this shocking scene of the KOID-branded bot acting like a human New Yorker was to promote global asset management firm KraneShares's Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF, which came out earlier this summer. "I feel like I was witnessing firsthand . . . the first lightbulb or the first car," said Joseph Dube, head of marketing at KraneShares. "People were amazed. Some people were terrified. It was a major mixed bag of reactions."