--- title: "Chinese Company Busted Showing Off Humanoid Robots That Actually Have Humans Inside" description: "  Footage making its rounds on social media shows what appear to be humanoid robots posing at the World Robot Conference in Beijing last week. But instead of showing off the latest and greatest in humanoid robotics, two of the robots turned out to be women cosplaying as futuristic robots, seemingly hired by animatronics company […]" date: "2024-08-31" modified: "2024-08-31" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/chinese-company-humanoid-robots-humans" categories: - "Robotics" - "Robots and Machines" tags: - "china" - "Humanoid Robots" - "optimus" - "tesla" - "the digest" --- # Chinese Company Busted Showing Off Humanoid Robots That Actually Have Humans Inside ![Viral footage shows what appear to be humanoid robots posing at a conference in Beijing. They're actually human cosplayers.]() *\Image: EducationalFeed via X\* ## Robotplay Footage [making the rounds on social media]() shows what appear to be astonishingly lifelike humanoid robots posing at the World Robot Conference in Beijing last week. But instead of showing off the latest and greatest in humanoid robotics, two of the "robots" turned out to be human women cosplaying as futuristic gynoids, presumably hired by animatronics company Ex-Robots. "Many people think these are all robots without realizing they’re actually two human beings cosplayed as robots among the animatronics," reporter Byron Wan [tweeted](). While somewhat uncanny at first glimpse, the illusion was shattered once an [image of one of the hired women having lunch]() at the event started circulating online. Even humanoid robot cosplayers have to eat, it turns out. https://twitter.com/Byron\_Wan/status/1828001329945755876 ## Fool Me Once It's not the first time we've come across humans dressed as robots on stage. In 2022, Tesla was [widely mocked]() for hiring a dancer in a tight spandex costume to masquerade as the company's newly-announced Optimus robot. However, the cosplayers hired by Ex-robots proved far more convincing. Readers on X-formerly-Twitter had to step in once [one particularly gullible user claimed]() the cosplayers were "straight out of sci-fi" humanoid robots. "The original post, clearly says these are fake robot girls," a community note attached to the post reads. "Account owner is farming engagement." Despite hiring human cosplayers for their booth at the conference, Ex-Robots has in fact developed (admittedly less convincing) humanoid robots, which can make various facial expressions to express ersatz emotions. In June, [*Reuters* reported]() on the company's progress, showing footage of silicone arms and feet littering tables. "The model we're making is multi-modal and capable of emotional expression," Ex-Robots CEO Li Boyang told *Reuters* at the time. "It can perceive the surrounding environment and produce appropriate facial feedback." Why the company chose to hire human cosplayers for last week's World Robot Conference remains unclear. Were they hired as "booth babes," an [outdated and sexist]() form of promotion? Or were they purposefully there to trick attendees into thinking they were robots? Given the reception of the videos on social media, it's possible it's a mix of both. **More on humanoid robots:** *[Humanoid Robot Maker Signs Deal to Put OpenAI Tech in Their Brains]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()