On the eve of Chinese New Year, during the CCTV Spring Festival Gala, the humanoid robot team from Hangzhou Yushu Technology stole the show with their performance. However, some robots seemed to make mistakes during the show. Additionally, videos showed these robots stumbling backstage at CCTV, a stark contrast to their polished appearance on stage.
On the night of January 28th, 2025, director Zhang Yimou collaborated with Hangzhou Yushu Technology and Xinjiang Arts College to present a creative dance program titled “YangBOT” at the CCTV Spring Festival Gala. In the performance, 16 humanoid robots dressed in floral vests and holding handkerchiefs danced the Yangko dance alongside human performers.
Ms. Chen, a staff member from the marketing department of Hangzhou Yushu Technology, informed Jiupai News that the humanoid robot featured in the performance was H1. This robot’s “secret weapon” lies in its AI-driven full-body motion control technology, enabling precise movements in its environment. Through AI algorithms, it can even “understand” music.
However, attentive viewers noticed certain robots making what seemed like mistakes during the performance, such as exaggerated dance steps, high-flying handkerchiefs, slight delays in movements, or other peculiar actions.
This raised doubts among some viewers, questioning, “Could there be technical issues? How could such important mistakes occur on this platform?”
In response to the audience’s skepticism, staff from Yushu Technology’s marketing department explained to Chinese media that the robots’ “eccentric,” “mistaken,” or “faulty” behaviors during the performance were “carefully designed” by the performance team to bring “joy” to the audience.
Regarding this, a netizen named “Humble Marquis” commented on Weibo, saying, “Is it so hard to admit mistakes? If it was intentionally designed as part of the program, and not an error, how could it be called an intentional mistake?”
Furthermore, on January 29th, a video reposted by a netizen named “Desert Fish” showed several staff members inside the CCTV building controlling the Yushu Technology humanoid robot H1 with a remote control. It was unclear whether these robots were preparing to go on stage or had finished their performance.
These robots, dressed in floral vests and holding handkerchiefs, appeared unsteady and on the verge of falling, contrasting sharply with the stability and movements of robots developed by the American robotics company Boston Dynamics.
However, during the 2025 CCTV Spring Festival Gala, Yushu Technology did not showcase the “world’s strongest robot” G1 but instead had H1 perform on stage.
It is worth noting that in December 2024, at an exhibition held in Nanjing, Yushu Technology’s Unitree H1 humanoid robot was also involved in a mishap.
According to reports by Qooah, during Yushu Technology’s demonstration, the humanoid robot suddenly lost balance and fell to the ground. Although nearby staff rushed to help, the robot still fell. What’s more absurd was that after falling, the robot began to convulse, mimicking the full-body convulsions of a human.
The awkwardness of the fallen robot starkly contrasted with the promotional videos showcasing the robot’s agile movements like jumping and climbing on the large screen behind the booth, creating a striking disparity.
Regarding the robot “mistakes” during the 2025 CCTV Spring Festival Gala, some netizens recalled past “mishaps” involving robots, including incidents with Yushu Technology, sparking ridicule among online users.