[A new humanoid robot named Moya is drawing attention on social media and in the press for some of its realistic attributes. The story below is from New Atlas, where the original version includes the mentioned 1:33 minute video from Shanghai Eye (the video is also available on YouTube). Additional details from Interesting Engineering and TechRadar follow below. More videos are available from the South China Morning Post (1:11 on YouTube), Hola Fujian (0:28 on Facebook, with the tagline “Science fiction coming to life”), and AI Revolution (a detailed 13:30 minute report). –Matthew]

[Image: Source: Interesting Engineering]

She walks, shows emotion, holds eye contact and is warm – but she’s a robot

By Bronwyn Thompson
February 4, 2026

At this stage of the robotics race, it’s probably fair to assume that a few of us have a bit of humanoid malaise. After all, we’ve seen more funny videos of robots dropping plates out of dishwashers and taking 10 minutes to open and close a refrigerator door. And let’s not even mention them trying to cook or play soccer.

However, Shanghai robotics startup DroidUp (also known as Zhuoyide) has stepped things up a gear or five, which is certainly worth covering considering it expects the new realistic humanoid to be rolled out this year. The model known as Moya was unveiled during a launch at Shanghai’s Zhangjiang Robotics Valley where many of China’s emerging humanoid developers are clustered.

Here, the company launched what it calls “a beautifully designed and expressive bionic robot” that is touted as “the world’s first highly bionic robot that deeply integrates human aesthetics and advanced humanoid movement.”

Moya may be best introduced by video, not words, courtesy of Shanghai Eye, part of the Shanghai Media Group.

“Based on a modular bionic platform architecture, Moya can be flexibly configured with different gender characteristics and appearances,” a DroidUp spokesperson stated (this has been translated to English). “Its highly customizable bionic head can delicately express a wide range of emotions, from joy and anger to sorrow and happiness, with natural grace in its gaze. Equipped with the Zhuoyide cerebellar motor control model, its walking and turning movements are smooth and elegant, completely breaking away from the traditional ‘steel image’ of humanoid robots.”

Part of the pivot away from the “steel image” robot design involves giving Moya temperature control to mimic a human body, as well as the softness to replicate real skin and fat and muscle beneath it. She even has a rib cage.

While the makers claim Moya has 92% human-like walking accuracy, that 8% shortfall is noticeable; her movement is uncannily like my own if I’ve ever had to walk in heels. But walking isn’t her strength, anyway – that would be the way she interacts with humans, maintaining eye contact, smiling, nodding and expressing emotions with the kind of subtle facial muscle movements we do without being conscious of it a lot of the time.

She’s able to interact in real time to people facing her thanks to a camera behind her eyes, which combines with AI to enable her to make those human-like “micro expressions.”

On top of these rather human traits, Moya is also warm – literally. She’s been designed to have her skin maintain a temperature of 32-36 °C (89.6-96.8 °F), which is a clever move in making her more relatable. Many studies have shown how we use touch to gauge temperature to relate to others and feel kinship – whether we realize it or not.

“A robot that truly serves human life should be warm … almost like a living being that people can connect with,” Li Qingdu, founder of DroidUp, told Shanghai Eye.

But with all that in mind, it’s no surprise to find Moya has been met with mixed reviews. Most are the obvious “uncanny valley” remarks, while others liken her to a Westworld model or even a walking ghost. And while it isn’t hard to imagine that an attractive, customizable human-like robot such as Moya will be sexualized, DroidUp hopes to have the model employed in much-needed roles like aged care.

Though if you want your own Moya, you’ll need at least around US$173,000, with the company announcing that when she enters the market later this year she will most likely be headed for healthcare and education facilities.

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Source: DroidUp

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Additional details from Interesting Engineering:

• “Standing 1.65 metres (5.5 feet) tall and weighing around 32 kilograms (70 pounds), Moya has been designed with proportions close to those of an adult human.”
• “[Moya] has drawn attention on Chinese social media after videos showcasing its capabilities were circulated.”
• “The robot’s debut comes at a time when humanoid development is branching in multiple directions globally. Some companies deliberately design robots with cartoon-like or stylised appearances to avoid human comparison, while others emphasise clearly mechanical forms suited to industrial work. A smaller group, including DroidUp, continues to pursue highly realistic designs that aim to cross the uncanny valley rather than avoid it.”
• “DroidUp is not presenting Moya solely as a domestic robot. According to SCMP, the company envisions the humanoid being used across healthcare, education, and other commercial environments where human-robot interaction plays a central role. Rather than focusing on industrial tasks or high-speed athletic demonstrations, the company appears to be targeting settings that require prolonged interaction and a sense of approachability.”

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Additional details from TechRadar:

• “Mora is another impressive example of AI stepping out of the digital world and into our physical one, with increasingly convincing results.
• “Droidup says it similarly sees robots like Moya as being best-suited to ‘public service scenarios’ at ‘train stations, banks, museums, and shopping malls, providing the public with convenient services such as consultation, route guidance, and information introduction.’”