BYD has disclosed the design of a humanoid robot in a patent made public by China’s National Intellectual Property Administration on October 9, 2026. The automaker is considering deploying robots in its dealerships, where they could greet visitors, explain car features and demonstrate in-vehicle entertainment systems. No commercial rollout date has been announced.

The patent illustration shows a black-and-white robot with a curved head and no screen. Its arms and legs have multiple joints for movement. The design resembles Xiao Di, a robot previously introduced by a BYD executive, but the company has not confirmed whether the patented appearance is the final version of that robot.

Previously disclosed specifications for Xiao Di include a height of 1.61 meters, a weight of 58.5 kilograms and 31 degrees of freedom. Its hands are said to achieve repeat positioning accuracy of ±1 millimeter. BYD established a dedicated robotics research team in 2022, invested in Agibot in 2023 and acquired a stake in Percibot in 2025. The company is also developing robotics for industrial and other service applications.