Sportswear firms, robot makers team up for growth

Chinese sportswear companies are riding on the wave of humanoid robotics nationwide for innovation and market edge.

Li-Ning said it started product trials on Sept 11 using Tien Kung humanoid robots to test its running shoes at its research center in Beijing.

The trial follows a strategic cooperation agreement signed in July between Li-Ning and the Beijing Innovation Center of Humanoid Robotics, or X-Humanoid, under which the two sides launched a joint lab to explore applications of humanoid robots in sports science.

Tien Kung is a celebrated robot series developed by X-Humanoid. The robot claimed victory in the world's first humanoid robot half-marathon in the capital's E-Town in April as well as the sprint at the 2025 World Humanoid Robot Games in August.

During the trial, a Tien Kung robot collected metrics such as the shock absorption and rebound performance of running shoes.

"We found that humanoid robots are now capable of running in a human-like way. This encouraged us to apply them to product development," said Yang Fan, senior director of Li-Ning Sports Science Research Center.

Sensors on the robot deliver precise biomechanical information on hip, knee and ankle joints — data difficult to obtain through traditional testing methods that rely on repeated trials by humans.

Traditional prototype testing requires recruiting four to eight professional athletes for several days of capturing data, followed by two to three weeks of data processing. In contrast, humanoid robots can provide consistent, quantifiable results and, under ideal conditions, generate output on the same day, Yang added.

With the data collected, the partners plan to build a professional database of running shoes, offering performance ratings on cushioning, rebound and other indicators to support both research and development and consumer recommendations.

Beyond laboratory applications, the robots are expected to be used for in-store gait analysis, personalized training advice and livestream demonstrations of product features.

The Li-Ning case is part of a broader trend in China's sports industry, where Chinese sports brands are increasingly turning to humanoid robotics for innovation.

In June, Anta Group joined forces with Unitree Robotics and Hong Kong Polytechnic University to establish a joint research base.

The collaboration focuses on data collection and analysis for humanoid robotics, smart applications for sportswear production, and systematic R&D of athletic equipment tailored for robotic use, according to the sportswear company.

Other brands such as Xtep have also showcased humanoid robots wearing their running shoes at public events.

In August, 361 Degrees announced a strategic partnership with Standard Robots to set up a research lab with plans to develop robot wearables and introduce robots into retail operations.

This wave of initiatives aligns with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's 2023 guidelines, which call for broader application scenarios for humanoid robotics. It also reflects the accelerating momentum behind the commercialization of humanoid robots in China.