Children interact with a robotic dog outside the KOID Shop in New York City, the United States, June 25, 2026. (Photo by Vivien Liu/Xinhua)

by Vivien Liu

NEW YORK, June 27 (Xinhua) -- A pop-up store dedicated to general-purpose robots has opened in Lower Manhattan of New York City, where humanoid robots that walk, talk and interact with people have attracted crowds, showcasing the rapid development of robotics technology with a strong presence of Chinese manufacturers.

Located at 188 Lafayette Street in SoHo neighborhood, the KOID Shop was jointly launched by KraneShares, an investment management firm, and OpenMind, an open-source artificial intelligence initiative. The pop-up store opened on Thursday and will remain open until Sunday.

Robots from several Chinese companies, including Unitree, AGIBot, Booster, LimX and Galaxea, were displayed alongside OpenMind's software platform, demonstrating potential applications in homes, workplaces and the service industry.

Visitors stopped to watch humanoid robots walk across the showroom floor, respond to voice commands and interact with guests, with many lining up to take photos alongside the machines.

Asia is "a little bit ahead" in the field, said Brendan Ahern, chief investment officer of KraneShares, noting that leading robotics companies have emerged in China, South Korea and Japan.

He cited Unitree robots handling baggage at Tokyo's Haneda Airport as an example of how humanoid robots are beginning to move from demonstrations into real-world applications.

Jan Liphardt, founder of OpenMind and an engineering professor at Stanford University, said advances in hardware are rapidly narrowing the technological gap among humanoid robots. He said many new models expected later this year will be capable of charging themselves, while future development will increasingly depend on safety standards, insurance systems and regulatory frameworks rather than hardware alone.

Commercial deployment has already begun in some sectors.

Lei Yang, co-founder of Silicon Valley startup IntBot, said his company's socially intelligent robots are already operating in hotels and airports. At one airport terminal in South Korea, he said, about 500 travelers interact with the robot each day, receiving navigation assistance and information in more than 50 languages.

Jonathan Krane, CEO of KraneShares, said forecasts point to as many as 1 billion robots worldwide by 2050, adding that the pop-up store offers the public an opportunity to better understand the rapidly evolving technology through firsthand interaction. ■

A humanoid robot interacts with visitors at the KOID Shop in New York City, the United States, June 25, 2026. (Photo by Vivien Liu/Xinhua)

A visitor interacts with a humanoid robot at the KOID Shop in New York City, the United States, June 25, 2026. (Photo by Vivien Liu/Xinhua)

People watch a humanoid robot playing soccer at the KOID Shop in New York City, the United States, June 25, 2026. (Photo by Vivien Liu/Xinhua)