IROS and WAIC 2026 — Key Unitree Robotics News

In short: IROS 2026 takes place in Hangzhou (Unitree's home city) in October 2026, WAIC — in July 2026 in Shanghai. Both conferences are the main 2026 showcases of embodied AI research. Unitree has confirmed participation; a record number of G1-based papers is expected (preliminary data — more than 2025). This is the "map of the future" for R&D teams, investors, and procurement officers for 2027.

This article is for those planning R&D direction for 2027: lab heads, CTOs, investors. Useful for understanding which technologies will become mass-market in 12-18 months.

IROS 2026 — Hangzhou, October

International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems — the world's main academic robotics conference. In 2026 it takes place in Hangzhou — Unitree's home city. The "home" conference for the Chinese humanoid robotics and embodied AI sector. Expected number of papers — 3000+, with a significant portion on Unitree G1 / H1 platforms.

WAIC 2026 — Shanghai, July

World Artificial Intelligence Conference — China's main AI conference, with a focus on industrial application and government programs. At WAIC 2025 Unitree demonstrated G1 and H1 in public shows. In 2026 even greater scale is expected: new partnerships with large Chinese companies (Huawei, Baidu, Alibaba), embodied AI demos in real cases (medicine, education, logistics).

What Unitree is preparing for IROS 2026

• New workshops on open-source SDK and integration with modern VLA models.
• A humanoid manipulation contest on G1 EDU with a prize fund for top teams.
• Public demonstrations of serial G1, H1, H2 in various configurations.
• Tutorial sessions on unitree_mujoco, unitree_ros2, and Isaac Sim integration.
• Joint booths with NVIDIA, Physical Intelligence, and other embodied AI partners.

Trends the 2026 conference will set

1. VLA models as standard

In 2024-2025 OpenVLA, RT-2, Pi-zero were novelties; in 2026 they become the standard baseline for most new research. Teams shift from "make a first working VLA" to "improve generalization" and "reduce latency on the robot".

2. Tactile learning via Dex5-1P

Dex5-1P's 94 tactile sensors enable training models not only on visual input but also on "sense of touch". This opens a class of tasks inaccessible to classical vision-based VLA: fine assembly, gentle manipulation, work with soft and fragile objects.

3. Multi-robot teams

One humanoid + several quadrupeds working in coordination — a growing research topic. Unitree actively encourages this direction because it has the full lineup of platforms for flexible combos.

4. Sim-to-real transfer

Training models in Isaac Sim or MuJoCo, then transferring to the real robot without significant quality loss. By 2026 this is a solved task for baseline scenarios; the next frontier is complex manipulation.

What it means for Kazakhstan

• By 2027 "embodied AI expertise" becomes a scarce labor-market skill — start training specialists in 2026.
• University R&D programs started in 2026 can publish first IROS / ICRA papers by end of 2027 — a strong signal for international positioning.
• Corporate clients launching pilots in 2026 will be ready for series programs by 2027 — a competitive edge.
• Alashed organizes Kazakhstan delegation trips to WAIC 2026 — the best way to "see the future" with your own eyes.

humanoid

Unitree G1

Гуманоидный AI-аватар

G1 EDU — the main platform for research at IROS 2026.

humanoid

Unitree H1

Первый универсальный гуманоид

H1 / H1-2 — standard for serious humanoid robotics R&D publications.

accessory

Unitree Dex5-1P

Тактильная 5-палая декстерная рука

Dex5-1P — the key accessory for tactile learning work presented at the conference.

FAQ