There’s a new robot in China that’s got people equal parts impressed and creeped out. It’s called Walker S2, and it doesn’t just run on its own… It literally changes its own batteries.
The video is wild (embedded below). Watch as Walker S2 strolls up to a charging dock, pops out its drained battery, swaps it out for a fresh one, and heads off like it’s nothing.
No humans. No cables. No off-switch.
China’s self-reliant robot
UBTech, the Chinese robotics company behind Walker S2, says this is the first time a humanoid robot can keep itself powered without needing help.
That means it could work nonstop.
Around the clock.
Like a tireless little coworker. (Or competitor….)
How does it work?
Walker S2 is about the size of an average person: 162 cm tall and 43 kg.
It uses two 48V lithium-ion batteries and gets roughly two hours of walking or four hours of standing per charge.
When it’s low, it walks itself to a dock, lines up its back panel, and swaps batteries like it’s doing a pit stop. The whole thing takes about three minutes.
Sure, it cannot run a marathon just (yet….)
But it’s enough to keep it working without breaks, on a loop. Non-stop. No human intervention needed.
Why people are freaking out a little
Watching a robot change its own power supply triggers something in your brain. It’s not even dramatic. It’s just the robot’s calm, calculated motion that kinda gets to you.
For factories, reception areas, and warehouses, this is a big deal.
Most robots still need a human to plug them in or swap batteries. Walker S2 skips the babysitting and keeps moving. Imagine what this could mean for businesses.
自律的にバッテリーを交換する 二足歩行人型ロボット
— T.Yamazaki (@ZappyZappy7) July 17, 2025
24時間365日ノンストップオペレーションの実現に向けて一歩前進(?) ※ロボット自体が故障しなければ…https://t.co/vb2okpahkp#bipedal #humanoid #robot #industrial #autonomous #battery #swapping #WalkerS2 pic.twitter.com/BQbnrw8d1p
Fewer breaks, fewer humans, and more machines running the show. And yes, people are already wondering what happens if you give this tech a bit too much freedom.
Add some AI, a better arm, and a camera that learns faces, and suddenly you’ve got something that’s independent too.
Robot Overlord, that you?
UBTech says it’s early days, but the direction is clear. They didn’t build this for show. They built Walker S2 to b useful. Practical.
Long term, it could reduce costs and automate basic tasks; especially ones humans don’t want to do. Or tasks too dangerous for humans to do.
Whether that’s cool or terrifying depends on your take. But one thing’s certain: the line between machine and assistant is getting blurrier by the day.
