165 cm, 32 kg... "Moya, It's Unsettling Because It Looks Too Human"

Chinese Robotics Firm Unveils Biomimetic Humanoid "Moya"
Capable of Eye Contact and Subtle Facial Expressions... Aimed at Home, Healthcare, and Education Uses

A humanoid robot capable of human-like movements and subtle facial expressions has been unveiled in China.

Chinese robotics company Deuroideueop unveiled humanoid robot Moya. South China Morning Post

According to science outlet Interesting Engineering, on January 30 Chinese robotics company Deuroideueop unveiled its humanoid robot "Moya" at an event held in Shanghai, China. Deuroideueop introduced this robot as "the world's first fully biomimetic embodied intelligence robot."

Moya, a humanoid robot unveiled by Chinese robotics company Deuroideueop. Deuroideueop homepage

About 165 cm tall, weighing about 32 kg... designed to interact with humans

Moya was developed based on the concept of embodied artificial intelligence (embodied AI), which perceives, thinks, and acts within a physical environment. Unlike conventional AI systems that operate only in digital environments, it is designed to function in real-world spaces and interact with humans.

In a video released by the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post (SCMP), Moya can be seen smiling, nodding, and making eye contact with a person. Although its movements are somewhat mechanical, there are also scenes of it walking in a posture similar to that of a human. Deuroideueop explained that Moya can reproduce subtle human facial expressions and that this capability is at a high level even among humanoid robots currently under development. The company also emphasized that its walking accuracy reaches 92%.

Moya is about 165 cm tall and weighs about 32 kg, with body proportions similar to those of an adult woman. Deuroideueop stated, "The robot is designed to maintain a body temperature of 32 to 36 degrees Celsius," adding that this is "a feature intended to enhance a sense of liveliness during interaction."

Moya, the humanoid robot unveiled by Chinese robotics company Deuroideueop, is walking. Deuroideueop website

Some say its human-like movements feel 'unsettling'

Moya's appearance and behavior have sparked mixed reactions on Chinese social media. SCMP reported, "Some users marveled at the robot's realistic look, while others said its movements, which are too similar to those of humans, made them feel uncomfortable." Analysts noted that this response is connected to the so-called "uncanny valley" phenomenon, in which people feel discomfort toward entities that appear almost, but not perfectly, human.

Moya appears to have been developed based on Deuroideueop's existing humanoid research, but the company has not disclosed detailed information about its core technologies.

Deuroideueop also revealed plans to use Moya not only as a household robot but also in commercial settings such as healthcare and education, where prolonged interaction with humans is required. The company explained that it is targeting spaces where friendliness and accessibility are more important than industrial tasks or demonstrations of highly complex movements.

According to SCMP, Moya is expected to be released to the market as early as the end of this year. The initial price is reported to be around 1.2 million yuan (approximately 253 million won). The final price and detailed sales schedule have not yet been officially announced.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.