DeepSeek V4 Rumored to Run Natively on Huawei Ascend Platform
Industry reports and commentary from Nvidia’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) suggest that the upcoming DeepSeek V4 model is being optimized to run exclusively on Huawei Ascend hardware. This move signals a significant departure from the industry-standard CUDA (Compute Unified Device Architecture) dependence.
The impact of this shift cannot be overstated. By aligning high-level AI models with domestic silicon, China is potentially establishing a localized software-hardware standard that directly challenges Western dominance in the artificial intelligence sector.
A strategic pivot that could rewrite the rules of the global AI hierarchy. Source
Agibot Launches Open AI Platform for Humanoid Robots
At its partner conference on April 17, Agibot (智元机器人)—founded by former Huawei "Genius Youth" Peng Zhihui—unveiled a new Artificial Intelligence (AI) large model platform and ecosystem. The company has already surpassed 10,000 units in production.
Agibot is pivoting toward a "software-defined robotics" model to accelerate commercial deployment across industrial and service sectors. This approach suggests that the future of robotics lies not just in mechanical dexterity, but in the intelligence driving the movement.
Scaling through software may be the key to unlocking mass-market humanoid adoption. Source
Hesai Unveils World’s First 6D "Picasso" SPAD-SoC
Released on April 17, Hesai's new chip enables Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) to perceive color (Red, Green, Blue/RGB) and spatial data (X, Y, Z) simultaneously at the pixel level. This technology utilizes a Single-Photon Avalanche Diode System-on-Chip (SPAD-SoC).
This "native fusion" technology is expected to migrate from autonomous vehicles into high-end mobile robotics and specialized industrial handsets by late 2026. The ability to merge visual and spatial data at the chip level provides a massive leap in environmental perception.
The convergence of color and depth perception marks a new frontier for machine vision. Source
Siasun-Duco Debuts Wheeled Humanoid for Hazardous Environments
At the 2026 China Humanoid Robotics Ecology Conference, Siasun-Duco debuted the BR-MR73A RICO, a wheeled humanoid robot. It features a 200Hz low-latency Virtual Reality (VR) remote operation system.
The hardware allows human operators to control the robot’s dexterous hands with millisecond precision. This capability is specifically designed for high-stakes environments such as nuclear inspection and deep-sea maintenance, where human presence is impossible.
Precision teleoperation turns humanoid robots into essential tools for extreme industrial tasks. Source
NIO and Horizon Robotics Push Domestic Semiconductor Integration
NIO founder Li Bin confirmed that flagship-grade in-house intelligent driving chips are now being deployed in mass-market models within the 200,000–300,000 RMB range. This move is explicitly intended to reduce reliance on Nvidia.
Simultaneously, Horizon Robotics announced it will launch its next-generation cockpit-driving integrated chip solution in late April. The company is targeting a cumulative shipment goal of 10 million units.
As automotive intelligence scales, the battle for the silicon under the hood intensifies. Source
