DroidUp
DroidUp (卓益得, also written Zhuoyide) is a Shanghai humanoid robot company that builds lifelike, bionic robots for companionship, care and research. It was founded in 2021 by Li Qingdu, growing out of Shenzhen Walker Robotics, set up in 2016, and his team has more than 20 years of experience in bipedal walking. In 2015 the team's Walker No. 1 humanoid walked more than 134 km on a single charge, breaking a Guinness World Record for the longest walk by a legged robot. DroidUp's products include the Walker series of general-purpose bionic humanoids, built with tendon-driven actuation, and Moya, a hyper-realistic companion robot unveiled in February 2026 that keeps its skin at about body temperature and walks with a 92 percent human-like gait. Moya is expected to cost about US$173,000 and target healthcare and education. DroidUp raised a 100 million yuan Series A in 2024 and a nearly 100 million yuan Pre-A+ round in February 2026, and reports more than 1,000 intended orders.
💡Notable Achievement: DroidUp's Moya achieved a world-leading 92% gait resemblance score to biological human walking and signed a landmark 1,000-unit mass production agreement at WAIC 2026 with the National and Local Co-built Humanoid Robotics Innovation Center.
What Does DroidUp Do?
DroidUp (卓益得) has accomplished what traditional humanoid builders have struggled with for decades: biological walking realism. Developed by world-renowned biomechanics pioneer Prof. Qingdu Li, DroidUp's humanoid robot Moya moves with an astonishing 92% kinematic similarity to actual human walking. Rather than moving like an awkward, stiff machine, Moya glides naturally across the floor, makes warm eye contact, smiles, and greets people with realistic facial micro-expressions. DroidUp is pioneering the transition toward fully bionic humanoids that feel comfortable, natural, and safe to share human spaces with.
“DroidUp engineers hyper-biomimetic humanoids with world-record biological walking fidelity and warm human aesthetics.”
92% Human-Gait Kinematics
Proprietary passive-elastic walking mechanics capture the exact heel-to-toe trajectory and pelvic sway of biological human gait.
Warm Biomimetic Dermis
Integrated skin heating and soft silicone texture eliminate cold mechanical touch for natural human-robot handshakes.
High Energy Efficiency
Spring-loaded compliant leg joints recycle kinetic energy during stride footfalls, slashing electrical battery draw.
What Can DroidUp Robots Actually Do?
Cross-portfolio operational capabilities, manipulation tasks, and environmental competencies
DroidUp develops hyper-bionic walking humanoids, academic bipedal research platforms, and facial robotics.
Biological Bipedal Walking
Gentle Tactile Greeting
Expressive Social Interaction
DroidUp Robots
Showing 3 Humanoid Robots of 3 total models
Ruina
By: DroidUp
Launched: 2026
Ruina by DroidUp is a cutting-edge biomimetic humanoid robot engineered for seamless human-like interactions and versatile applications in healthcare, education, and commercial environments. Standing at human proportions, it features a 92% accurate bipedal gait powered by the Zhuoyide cerebellar motor control model, enabling smooth walking, turning, and stable posture on flat surfaces. Ruina's customizable bionic head delivers micro-expressions like smiling, winking, nodding, and eye contact, complemented by soft, warm skin maintaining 32-36°C body temperature for realistic touch. Equipped with advanced sensors including RGB and stereo cameras, LiDAR, IMU, gyroscope, force, and temperature sensors, it supports autonomous navigation, obstacle avoidance, and embodied AI for perception, reasoning, and action. With modular design for gender and appearance variations, high dexterity hands, and cloud-integrated teleoperation, Ruina excels in collaborative tasks, emotional engagement, and natural gestures, bridging the gap between machines and humans in dynamic settings.
Walker II (02)
By: DroidUp
Launched: 2024
Walker II is a pioneering lightweight modular humanoid robot from DroidUp, standing at 1.7 meters tall and weighing just 32 kg, engineered with bio-inspired tendon-driven actuation and distributed motor coordination for human-like agility. It achieves a maximum walking speed of 9 km/h (about 2.5 m/s), navigates diverse terrains including stairs, gravel, and slopes, and clears 15 cm obstacles using dynamically adjustable joint stiffness for precise, energy-efficient motion—25% more efficient than competitors. The 30 DOF bipedal design supports stable balancing, modular customization for research, education, inspections, service tasks, and industrial applications. Integrated sensors enable real-time environmental adaptation, while its high-strength lightweight frame ensures endurance for prolonged operations, making it ideal for dynamic humanoid locomotion in challenging settings.
Moya
By: DroidUp
Launched: 2026
Moya is a pioneering biomimetic humanoid robot from DroidUp, designed with human-like proportions at 1.65 meters tall and 32 kg, featuring a 92% accurate walking gait, micro-expressions like smiling and winking, and body temperature of 32-36°C for realistic interactions. Built on embodied AI, it perceives, reasons, and acts in physical environments, excelling in natural bipedal locomotion on flat surfaces with stable posture. Its modular head supports eye contact and facial nuances, targeting healthcare for elder care, education, and commercial settings requiring prolonged human-robot collaboration. Unlike industrial humanoids, Moya prioritizes lifelike presence over heavy labor, with fluid arm movements, gesture replication, and warm skin-like materials to foster trust and companionship. Advanced sensors enable visual perception, while its Walker 3 chassis ensures balanced, human-mimicking mobility, positioning it as a breakthrough in interactive robotics for daily human-centric applications.
DroidUpSoftware & AI Ecosystem
Developer platforms, fleet management portals, autonomy intelligence, and enterprise integrations
BioWalk Engine
Passive-Dynamic Gait Controller
Moya Social Brain
Conversational Social Core
DroidUp Fleet Connect
Remote Telematics Suite
DroidUpTimeline & Milestones
Evolutionary history, landmark prototypes, major acquisitions, and commercial roadmap
Predecessor Shenzhen Walker Robotics founded
Shenzhen Walker Robotics, the company that later became DroidUp, is founded to build bipedal robots.
Source: finance.sina.com.cn
DroidUp founded
Li Qingdu founds DroidUp in Shanghai to build bionic humanoid robots.
Source: finance.sina.com.cn
100 million yuan Series A
DroidUp completes a Series A round of 100 million yuan and then releases its modular, tendon-driven Walker humanoid.
Source: finance.sina.com.cn
Moya lifelike companion robot unveiled
DroidUp unveils Moya, a hyper-realistic companion robot with warm skin and a 92 percent human-like gait, at Shanghai's Zhangjiang Robotics Valley.
Source: newatlas.com
Pre-A+ round of nearly 100 million yuan
DroidUp closes a Pre-A+ round of nearly 100 million yuan, co-led by Shanghai Pudong Leading Area Investment Center and Zhangjiang Sci-Tech Venture Capital.
Source: autonews.gasgoo.com
DroidUp Competitors by Category
Direct industry rivals grouped by specific robotics domain
Engineered Arts
→Model: Ameca
Focus: Facial expression androids
Hanson Robotics
→Model: Sophia
Focus: Social conversational androids
EX Robots
Industry PeerModel: EX Bionic
Focus: Bionic full-size exhibition androids
What Makes DroidUp Different?
Editorial AnalysisOrigin of Bots objective strategic assessment, engineering moats, and commercial hurdles
Key Strengths & Moats
- ✓Unsurpassed biological gait realism that eliminates the robotic 'squat-walking' typical of other bipeds
- ✓1,000-unit mass-production framework agreement signed with national robotics center
- ✓Warm, welcoming aesthetic ideal for cultural, educational, and high-end hospitality sectors
Core Strategic Focus
Fulfilling 1,000-unit batch production contracts and deploying Moya across major international science museums.
Road Ahead & Challenges
- •High manufacturing cost of hyper-realistic biomimetic skin and custom elastic leg mechanisms
- •Passive elastic gait control requires careful tuning when adapting to rough outdoor terrain
DroidUp vs Key Competitors
Strategic capability matrix across platform categories, commercial readiness, and target markets
| Strategic Dimension | Moya (DroidUp) | Ameca (Engineered Arts) | EX Bionic | Unitree H1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gait Kinematic Realism | 92% Human Similarity | Upper Body Only / Stationary | Wheeled / Stiff Bipedal | Dynamic Athletic Biped |
| Exterior Form | Warm Bionic Dermal Skin | Metal / Polycarbonate | Silicone Facial Skin | Carbon Fiber Industrial |
| Primary Role | Public Hospitality & Culture | HRI Research & Showcase | Museum Animatronics | Industrial / Research |
| Commercial Price | ~$173,000 USD | ~$150,000+ USD | ~$80,000 USD | ~$90,000 USD |
Corporate Ecosystem & Ownership Structure
Parent company relationships, historical acquisitions, and global operating facilities
Articles & Industry News
Showing 3 recent articles and news updates about DroidUp
DroidUp Unveils Ruina Humanoid with Biomimetic Design for Social Interaction
News about Ruina
Walker 2 Bronze Medal Drives DroidUp's Walker 3 Evolution
News about Walker II (02)
DroidUp's Moya Heats Up Humanoids with 92% Human Gait
News about Moya
Robot Comparisons
Showing 5 in-depth comparisons featuring DroidUp — Explore all comparisons →
Ameca (Engineered Arts) vs Moya (DroidUp)
Which humanoid robot is better? Ameca vs Moya compared for dexterity, AI capabilities, and price.
Compare AgiBot X1 by AgiBot & Moya by DroidUp
In-depth comparison of AgiBot X1 and Moya, covering hardware capabilities, teleoperation, autonomy levels, and enterprise readiness for industrial and social robotics deployment.
Elf-Xuan 2.0 by AheadForm vs Moya by DroidUp
In-depth comparison of Elf-Xuan 2.0 and Moya, covering hardware capabilities, teleoperation, and enterprise readiness.
Aria - Robot Girlfriend (Realbotix) vs Moya (DroidUp)
In-depth comparison of Aria - Robot Girlfriend and Moya, covering hardware capabilities, teleoperation, and enterprise readiness for companionship and service applications.
Next-Gen IRON by XPENG vs Moya by DroidUp
In-depth comparison of Next-Gen IRON by XPENG and Moya by DroidUp, covering hardware capabilities, teleoperation, and enterprise readiness.
Frequently Asked Questions
8 AnswersVerified answers, company specifications, and deployment details about DroidUp
What is DroidUp?
DroidUp, known in Chinese as 卓益得 (Zhuoyide), is a Shanghai humanoid robot company founded in 2021 that builds lifelike, bionic robots for companionship, care and research.
Who founded DroidUp?
DroidUp was founded by Li Qingdu, whose team has more than 20 years of experience in bipedal walking research. The company grew out of Shenzhen Walker Robotics, founded in 2016.
What is the DroidUp Moya robot?
Moya is DroidUp's hyper-realistic companion robot, unveiled in February 2026. It keeps its skin at about body temperature, has soft skin-like surfaces, makes eye contact and walks with what DroidUp says is a 92 percent human-like gait.
How much does the Moya robot cost?
Moya is expected to cost about US$173,000 when it reaches the market, with healthcare and education facilities as its first targets.
What is the DroidUp Walker robot?
The Walker series are DroidUp's general-purpose bionic humanoids. The latest Walker uses modular, tendon-driven actuation and carries cameras and LiDAR for autonomous path planning and obstacle avoidance.
Did a DroidUp robot set a world record?
Yes. In 2015 the team's Walker No. 1 humanoid walked more than 134 km on a single charge over two days and three nights, breaking the Guinness World Record for the longest walk by a legged robot.
Who has invested in DroidUp?
DroidUp raised a 100 million yuan Series A in 2024 and a nearly 100 million yuan Pre-A+ round in February 2026, co-led by Shanghai Pudong Leading Area Investment Center and Shanghai Zhangjiang Sci-Tech Venture Capital.
What is DroidUp's Moya robot for?
DroidUp is aiming Moya at emotional companionship and elderly care, with healthcare and education facilities as its first customers. The company reports more than 1,000 intended orders across its products.
Verified Data & Editorial Assurance
Compiled from verified corporate filings, official DroidUp datasheets, and robotics engineering registries. Information has been verified against official manufacturer documentation. For commercial procurement or proprietary integrations, contact the manufacturer directly.