Humanoid A3: Lightweight, 10-hour Endurance, and Fits in an SUV

The A3 model is a new generation humanoid robot that AgiBot officially unveiled at its APC 2026 partner conference in London. It is the European premiere of a machine that immediately impresses with its proportions — 173 cm tall with a head-to-body ratio of 1:9 and weighing only 55 kilograms.

The low weight is no accident. The construction uses a magnesium alloy and titanium reinforcements, allowing a single person to carry the robot. AgiBot even states that the A3 fits into a standard SUV — which is crucial for real-world deployment outside the laboratory. After transport, the robot "unpacks" itself and is ready for operation without further technical assistance.

A key element for all-day operation is a dual battery system with a nominal 10-hour endurance and 10-second battery swap. This means the robot doesn't have to be out of operation for hours due to charging — just swap the battery and it continues where it left off.

What A3 Can Do: From Dance to Centimeter Navigation

AgiBot A3 is not just a pretty shell. The robot supports dynamic movements, multimodal interaction, and touch sensors on its shoulders. Thanks to UWB (Ultra-Wideband) technology, it can perform centimeter-level positioning — enabling synchronized movement of multiple robots at once, typically for group performances or coordinated tasks in commercial spaces.

The robot's focus is clear: education, exhibitions, customer service, commercial services, and the entertainment industry. It is therefore not an industrial worker for a factory, but a robot designed for public interaction — reception, guiding, marketing events, or interactive exhibits in shopping centers.

RaaS: Robot as a Service, Not an Investment

The most interesting part of the London announcement, however, is the business model. AgiBot, together with its British partner Scancom, is launching the Robot-as-a-Service (RaaS) model — i.e., renting robots without the need for a high initial investment.

The price list for the British market is as follows:

• Humanoid robot (A3 and similar): from £1,999/day
• Quadruped robot D1: from £899/day

The price includes localized deployment and operational support from Scancom, which provides logistics, service, and technical assistance. For customers, this means they can try out the robot for a specific event or project without risk — and if it proves successful, scale up the deployment.

The RaaS model is not new in the world of robotics, but this is the first time a Chinese humanoid manufacturer has offered this model in Europe with local support. Previously, similar services were offered more by companies like Boston Dynamics (Spot) or smaller European integrators.

First Retail Deployment in Milton Keynes

AgiBot has already deployed robots in British retail. At the Smart City shopping center in Milton Keynes, visitors can see several models — A3, X2, A2, and the quadruped D1 — in action. This is a testing environment where AgiBot verifies how humanoids manage to attract customer attention, navigate commercial spaces, and interact with the public.

William Shi, AgiBot's President for the European and American markets, stated: "The UK is a strategically important market for our global expansion. It has a strong innovation ecosystem, a developed partner network, and diverse scenarios where embodied AI can create value."

What Does This Mean for Europe — and for the Czech Republic?

AgiBot is not starting from scratch in Europe. The company already operates in Italy, Germany, and Spain, where it is building local partnerships around distribution, service, and adapting robots to local conditions. The London APC 2026 conference is a logical step in building a European presence — and the UK serves as a springboard for further expansion.

For the Czech market, this is a signal that humanoid robots are ceasing to be a laboratory curiosity. While direct deployment in the Czech Republic has not yet been announced, the RaaS model opens doors to smaller markets as well. Universities, technology centers, trade fairs, or shopping centers could theoretically rent a robot for several days without having to deal with customs, import, and technical support — provided AgiBot agrees with a local partner.

The Czech Republic has a strong tradition in robotics — from industrial robots to research at CTU — and the arrival of commercially available humanoids could accelerate local experiments with embodied AI. The key question remains the price: at CZK 56,000 per day, renting a humanoid is more affordable for companies with a specific budget for event marketing or universities with grant funding. For wider deployment, the price will have to decrease.

AgiBot in Context: China Pushes Hard

AgiBot is no newcomer to the European scene. The company was founded in 2023 by former Huawei engineer Peng Zhihui and has been growing at a rapid pace ever since. According to analytics firm Omdia, AgiBot was the world leader in the number of humanoid robots delivered in 2025. In June 2026, the company announced the production of its 15,000th robot — a number unprecedented in the industry.

The competition isn't sleeping: Tesla is developing Optimus, Figure AI targets logistics, Boston Dynamics bets on mechanical perfection. The difference, however, is in the approach — while Western companies are still fine-tuning prototypes, AgiBot is mass-producing and actually deploying. And the RaaS model could be what brings humanoids from research labs into everyday reality.