China is giving every humanoid robot digital ID: Here's why

The global humanoid robot market grew 508% in a single year, shipping roughly 18,000 units in 2024 alone, according to January research from IDC. China, home to more than 100 humanoid manufacturers, is now moving to bring order to that surge by assigning every bipedal machine built on its soil a unique digital identity code, effective immediately.

Officially announced Friday by the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the new programme was spearheaded by the Humanoid Robotics and Embodied Intelligence Standardisation committee.

This involves creating a complete lifecycle database that will trace each robot from manufacturing to operation up to its final disposal after its useful life.

A total of 28,000 robots made up of 200 different models have already been registered prior to the official announcement indicating that the registration system has long been in use.

The codes are divided into four categories. The first two digits pertain to the country of manufacture, helping to monitor international shipment and sales. The next four digits represent the manufacturer's identity. Six digits represent the classification of the robot product model. Finally, the 17-digit serial code is used to identify each unit.

The regulations pertain to all parts of the supply chain, including the manufacturers, service providers, retailers, consumers, and recycling centres.

According to the deputy director of the China Electronics Standardisation Institute, Yu Xiuming, the ID scheme was aimed at addressing some crucial problems relating to safety and regulation.

This approach is not incidental, as the ID system cannot be regarded as a system of surveillance but rather an industrial infrastructure scheme, which will help China’s exports get access to the world market.