HONOR Shows Off a Humanoid Robot at MWC 2026, Can Moonwalk and Almost Backflip

HONOR wants to play in the realm of "physical AI" (photo: x @ariondevd )

JAKARTA - HONOR has made a pretty mind-blowing surprise: not a smartphone, not a tablet, but a humanoid robot. This product won the Best of MWC 2026 award and is a clear signal that HONOR wants to play in the "physical AI" realm - artificial intelligence that actually has a body, not just a voice in a speaker.

Unlike many robotic players who target factories and warehouses first, HONOR has positioned this robot as a consumer product from the start. Not industrial workers, but home assistants, shopping partners, and even coworkers.

In its public demo, the robot performed with a human dancer with a synchronized choreography. He showed agility through movements such as Michael Jackson's moonwalk. He even tried a backflip on stage. It didn't land perfectly, but the way he stabilized himself with one hand showed a serious balance system and real-time response. It's not just a stage gimmick; it's proof of the physical integration of AI with precise motor control.

The concept carried by HONOR is quite interesting. They see this robot as an extension of the user, similar to how smartphones extend the capabilities of modern humans. If the phone extends our fingers and minds into the digital world, this robot has the potential to extend our bodies into the physical world.

The three main scenarios targeted are shopping assistance, workplace inspections, and companionship. Imagine a robot that can check inventory, help with shopping navigation, or simply be an interactive partner at home. This is an area that has been dominated by disembodied virtual assistants.

Details of hardware specifications and release schedules have not been revealed. However, this project is in line with HONOR's massive investment of 10 billion US dollars for AI research. That's not a small number, and usually companies don't spend that much money just for stage experiments.

Globally, the industry is moving from "AI on the screen" to "AI in the real world". From chatbots to robots. From text to torque. The challenge is certainly big: battery life, safety of human-robot interaction, selling price, to regulations.