Chinese robot maker UBTech launches U1, a line of humanoid robots for personal companionship with lifelike silicone skin and emotional AI, priced from $17,650 (Minxiao Chang/South China Morning Post)

<a href="https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3358884/ubtechs-lifelike-humanoid-robots-built-companionship-arriving-homes-across-china"><img align="RIGHT" border="0" hspace="4" src="http://www.techmeme.com/260701/i6.jpg" vspace="4" /></a> <p><a href="https://www.techmeme.com/260701/p6#a260701p6" title="Techmeme permalink"><img height="12" src="http://www.techmeme.com/img/pml.png" style="border: none; padding: 0; margin: 0;" width="11" /></a> Minxiao Chang / <a href="http://www.scmp.com/">South China Morning Post</a>:<br /> <span style="font-size: 1.3em;"><b><a href="https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3358884/ubtechs-lifelike-humanoid-robots-built-companionship-arriving-homes-across-china">Chinese robot maker UBTech launches U1, a line of humanoid robots for personal companionship with lifelike silicone skin and emotional AI, priced from $17,650</a></b></span>&nbsp; &mdash;&nbsp; The unveiling of model U1, which has silicone skin and emotional AI, reflects tech firms' drive to expand robotics beyond industrial use.</p>