REASSESSED 2026.09.02

MagicLab

MagicLab MagicBot Z1

Name: MagicLab MagicBot Z1
Brand: MagicLab

Z1 is a compact industrial humanoid with concrete, consistent specifications and real, if narrow, consumer-adjacent distribution through JD.com. Its manufacturer claims autonomous navigation but does not disclose which mode is used per deployment, and independent reporting confirms earlier public demonstrations were remotely controlled.

PriceNo list priceRetail price not tracked

Autonomy Ladder

Why Level II.

One five-rung scale, every category, from acting only on command to working unsupervised anywhere.

VGeneralized AutonomyAny task, any setting. No consumer robot has reached it.
IVEnvironmental AutonomyCopes with everyday clutter and frees itself, shown by independent testing.
IIIConditional AutonomyFinishes whole jobs in familiar spaces; struggles at the edges.
To reach Level IIIMost sessions finish without intervention. Rescue is occasional, not routine.
IIAssisted AutonomyThis robot

MagicLab MagicBot Z1 runs preset routines on its own, and the owner is its recovery system.
What it does on its own
- 24 DOF, 6 per leg, 5 per arm, 1 head, 1 waist; 1369mm standing height, folds to 730mm for transport; approximately 40kg with battery; 100 N-m maximum knee torque standard, 130 N-m development version; 2kg standard/3kg development-version per-arm payload; sensor suite of 3D LiDAR, depth camera, binocular fisheye camera, and a head tactile sensor; WiFi6 and Bluetooth 5.2; approximately 2 hours of battery life per the official spec page; deployed for product inspection, material handling, and parts picking and placing in a factory setting; six units performed a synchronized dance routine at China's 2026 Spring Festival Gala and sold out on JD.com within minutes of the broadcast.
Why this level
- Z1's official spec page claims autonomous navigation and obstacle avoidance via its own algorithm, but ships with a bundled handheld remote and does not disclose which mode is used in any given deployment.
- Independent reporting confirms MagicLab's earlier public demonstrations were remotely controlled.
- Absent independent confirmation of unassisted operation, it is classified Level II, Assisted Autonomy.
What holds it at Level II
- The official Z1 product page claims autonomous navigation and obstacle avoidance but ships with a bundled handheld remote control and does not state which mode is used in any specific deployment. Independent reporting confirms MagicLab's earlier public demonstrations, roasting marshmallows over a grill and folding baby clothes, were remotely controlled, not autonomous. No source independently confirms the control method used in the factory inspection and material-handling deployment or the Spring Festival Gala dance performance. Pricing and exact release date are not published in any source reviewed; broader press specs describing a 44lb per-arm lift, 5-hour battery, and 42 DOF describe MagicLab's larger Gen1 humanoid, a different, larger platform, and should not be conflated with Z1's own 24-DOF, roughly 2-hour-battery specification.
7 sources reviewed
IManual AutomationOne action on command; no independent operation.

How we assign a level →

Behind the classification

Sources we reviewed.

Verified7 sources reviewed

Sufficient public evidence across source types to publish a non-provisional classification.

Sources reviewed

Manufacturer documentation2 sourcesReviewed

MagicLab's official Z1 spec page and general humanoid product page

Press & video reviews1 sourceReviewed

Independent technology and news-media coverage, including the JD.com Spring Festival Gala sellout confirmation and earlier teleoperation reporting

Humanoid robots at Spring Festival Gala grab headlines, showcasing China's tech leap in just one yearGlobal Times

Monitoring record4 sourcesReviewed

Sources behind the tracker entries following this robot.

How we evaluate evidence →

Human Readiness

Not consumer-ready.

One question: what does buying this robot today walk you into? The state is computed from the record, and recomputed daily.

Not consumer-readyThis robot

MagicLab MagicBot Z1 ships to commercial and research buyers, not to households.

The readiness scale measures household purchase timing, so no tier applies. A consumer version reaching general availability would start the clock.

On the record

7 sources reviewed

The scale, for reference

Ready NowAssessed, with a clean record on file. A successor may be shipping; the page says so when it is.
New to MarketOn sale under 90 days; the ownership record is still forming.
WaitA successor is announced and has not shipped; re-read the decision when it arrives.
Known IssuesDocumented problems stand on the record; read the case before buying.

How we assess readiness →

Pre-Consumer Assessment

How this projection was reached

58of 100

PlausibleAt or above 30% of the 87 robots we assess before release

SpeculativeConceptPlausiblePromisingReady

The hatched tail is unreachable by construction. A projection does not publish as a full mark, because the evidence that settles it does not exist yet: whether the thing ships and works in ordinary use. Those 10 points are what shipping has to earn.

The reading

MagicBot Z1 is a concretely specified, currently manufactured compact humanoid with a real factory deployment and an unusually direct, if narrow, consumer-adjacent sales moment: six units sold out on JD.com within minutes of a nationally broadcast Gala dance performance. Its manufacturer claims autonomous navigation, but the same product ships with a bundled remote control, and no source confirms which mode is actually used in either the factory deployment or the televised performance. Independent reporting confirms MagicLab's earlier public demonstrations were remotely controlled, so the pattern favors caution about the autonomy claim rather than confirmation of it.

Still open

Whether the factory inspection and material-handling deployment and the Spring Festival Gala dance performance were autonomous, teleoperated, or pre-programmed choreography is not established by any independent source; MagicLab's own spec page claims autonomy while bundling an operator-usable remote control. No price has been published for Z1 specifically, including the JD.com Gala listing that sold out. MagicLab's funding history and corporate backers were not established in any source reviewed.

Three signals the number rests onweighted, then capped58What can be judged before anyone owns one.

Track Record35% of the assessment48

What this asks

Has this maker shipped what it demoed before, on schedule, with the promised capability?

Engineering35% of the assessment88

What this asks

Are the demonstrated capabilities achievable in shipping form, or do they need breakthroughs not in evidence?

Demo Match30% of the assessment35

What this asks

What has been shown to work, against what is claimed in marketing.

Published beside the numbernever averaged inWhat the maker has disclosed, not what has been judged.

Readinessnot in the number40

What this asks

Ship-date specificity, pricing transparency, distribution and regulatory status. Published beside the number; never averaged in.

Disclosurenot in the number35

What this asks

How much of the product is disclosed. Higher means fewer fundamental unknowns remain. Published beside the number; never averaged in.

middle half of the pre-release setits medianthis robot

Not a Robovations Scorethe two never convert into each other

This is a projection from pre-shipping signals, not a measurement. When the robot ships, the assessment is archived, a first Robovations Score is computed from the field record, and the change is logged on the tracker rather than appearing as a new number.

Read the pre-release method →

FIT CHECK

Will the MagicLab MagicBot Z1 fit your scenario?

Describe your scenario using the controls. Each choice reads the spec sheet for you, flagging where the MagicLab MagicBot Z1 is built for your space and where it isn’t.

Where it operates

Primary tasks

Supervision needs

Timeline

A classification of fit for the conditions you set, not a recommendation. Verdicts describe engineering design intent, not test results.

SPECIFICATION

The full spec sheet.

Manufacturer-published figures, measured against every humanoid robot we track.

Dimensional drawing

Key specificationsManufacturer-published

Footprint: 16.6 × 7.9 in · 53.9 in tall•
Weight: 88 lbs•
Payload: 4.4 lb•

Where it lands · ranked across 60 humanoid robotsThis robotMedianTypical range

Runtime120min

60 min720 min

Near median

Weight88lbs

26.46 lbs212.3+ lbs

Below median

Position shows where the figure sits across the tracked category, not a quality judgment.

Official referencesOwner manual Manufacturer support Product page

RECORD

How the assessment has moved.

Every announcement, release and reassessment behind the current classification.

Coming soon

Just launched

Active updates

Settled

Discontinued

Sep 2026 · AssessmentPre-Release Assessment recorded at 47 of 100
Aug 2026 · AssessmentReassessed under the Pre-Release Assessment framework
Nov 2025 · DemoMagicBot Z1 video shows backflip, martial arts kicks, arrow dodge
Jul 2025 · AnnouncementMagicLab unveils MagicBot Z1 humanoid robot with 24 to 49 DoF

Common questions

What people actually ask.

5 answered

OperationDid MagicBot Z1 really sell out on JD.com?

Yes. Independent reporting confirms six Z1 units performed a synchronized dance at China’s 2026 Spring Festival Gala, and MagicLab’s listings, along with other robot brands’, sold out on JD.com within minutes of the broadcast. No price was published for the listing.

OperationIs MagicBot Z1 autonomous?

The manufacturer’s official spec page claims autonomous navigation and obstacle avoidance, but Z1 also ships with a bundled handheld remote control, and no source confirms which mode is used in any specific deployment. Independent reporting confirms earlier public demonstrations were remotely controlled.

OwnershipHow much does Z1 cost?

Unknown. No price has been published by the manufacturer or confirmed in any source reviewed; third-party estimates of $50,000 to $100,000 are explicitly flagged as unconfirmed by the source that offered them.

OperationCan I buy a MagicBot Z1 as a consumer?

It briefly appeared on JD.com, a mainstream Chinese consumer platform, tied to a one-time nationally broadcast performance, and sold out within minutes. It is otherwise marketed for industry, research, and education buyers, not general consumer purchase.

OperationIs Z1 the same robot as MagicLab's other humanoid?

No. Press coverage describing a 44lb per-arm lift, 5-hour battery, and 42 DOF describes MagicLab’s larger Gen1 humanoid, a separate, larger platform from the compact, 24-DOF, roughly 2-hour-battery Z1.

Cite / Embed

Reference the MagicLab MagicBot Z1 classification.

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Citation

Robovations. "MagicLab MagicBot Z1: Autonomy Level II (Assisted Autonomy)." Autonomy Ladder™, assessed September 2026. https://robovations.com/robots/magiclab-magicbot-z1/

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A classification, not an endorsement. It may not appear beside language implying Robovations recommends, rates, or approves the product.

Where to next

Three ways to keep going.

For evaluators

Compare with a peer.

See the MagicLab MagicBot Z1 and Leju Kuavo 5 side by side: autonomy level, Robovations Score, readiness, and price. Classification, not a verdict.

See the full comparison

Or compare with Nori A3, Zeroth Bridge, Hexagon AEON.

For browsers

See every Level II.

Every robot we’ve classified at assisted autonomy. Sorted by readiness, score, and price. Filter by category, manufacturer, or release date.

Browse the database

Updated weekly with new entries and reclassifications.

MagicLab MagicBot Z1

Will the MagicLab MagicBot Z1 fit your scenario?

The full spec sheet.

How the assessment has moved.

What people actually ask.

Other humanoid robots we have classified.

Leju Kuavo 5

Nori A3

Zeroth Bridge

Hexagon AEON

Reference the MagicLab MagicBot Z1 classification.

Three ways to keep going.

Get the next reassessment.

Compare with a peer.

See every Level II.