China claims six of the top ten
Chinese companies now occupy six of the ten most innovative humanoid-robot developer slots, including all of the top five. The United States has fewer entries, yet its patents score higher on average quality. That finding comes from a LexisNexis analysis of more than 26,000 patent families across humanoid robotics — and it lands as Washington and Beijing step up their technological rivalry. The Trump administration has already announced limits on robot imports, and the U.S. House has passed a measure barring the Pentagon from using humanoid robots tied to U.S. adversaries.
What the data shows
The top ten innovation rankings place Fourier first, followed by AgiBot, LimX Dynamics, Pudu Robotics, and Unitree Robotics. China's remaining top-ten slot goes to Leju Robotics at ninth. The U.S. is represented by Figure AI (6th), Apptronik (8th), and Agility Robotics (10th), while Germany's Agile Robots is the only European firm on the list.
By the end of 2025, China is expected to control 73% of active patents related to humanoid-robot design, and 63% of the overall strength of the field's patent portfolio. Over the past decade, Chinese patent filings for interaction systems have doubled, those for robot structure have risen by about 2.5 times, and patents for control and planning systems have jumped fivefold. The U.S., by comparison, holds just 5% of active patent families in this space and accounts for 11% of total portfolio strength.
Even so, the United States posts the highest average patent quality across three key technology areas. Several companies with strong portfolios — Fanuc, Alphabet, Nvidia, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Intuitive Surgical, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences — do not focus on humanoid robots as their main business. UBTECH also stands out with 370 relevant patent families, more than a quarter of which involve humanoid robotics.
Competition is visibly intensifying. The Trump administration has announced import restrictions on new robots and power inverters, while the House approved legislation forbidding the Pentagon from acquiring or using humanoid robots linked to U.S. adversaries, including China.
As major powers compete in next-generation technology, humanoid robotics has become a strategic field tied to national security and economic stability. China's many patents highlight its innovative capacity, while the U.S. emphasizes patent quality and strategic deployment. Government decisions from here could reshape the global robotics market and the broader technological relationship between the two countries.
As the technological competition intensifies between the U.S. and China, the latter is not only advancing in humanoid robotics but also preparing to implement new restrictions on AI technology exports. This move could further influence the global landscape of innovation and patent activity. To understand the implications of these export curbs and their potential impact on the tech rivalry, read more about the details in our article on Beijing's latest export restrictions.