What is the Duco Siasun?
The Siasun DUCO is a full-size humanoid robot prototype developed by SIASUN Robot & Automation, headquartered in Shenyang, Liaoning, China. It stands approximately 150–160 cm tall and weighs between 90 and 110 kg. Designed as an R&D and demonstration platform, DUCO integrates around 30–35 degrees of freedom overall, including 5-fingered hands with about 5 DOF each. It moves on a wheeled base at up to 5 km/h and can handle payloads of up to 10 kg. The robot runs for 6–8 hours on its battery and uses electric servo motors with harmonic and precision reducers. An industrial PC with AI acceleration and a Linux-based robotics OS enable advanced control and potential integration with large language models. DUCO is not a commercial product and is used internally for research into humanoid capabilities in industrial, logistics, and service robotics.
Specifications
Here are the full technical specifications.
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Height | ~150–160 cm |
| Weight | ~90–110 kg |
| Degrees of freedom | 30–35 |
| Battery life | 6–8 hours |
| Max speed | 5 km/h |
| Payload | 10 kg |
| Price (new) | Not commercially available |
| Price (used range) | N/A |
Price & Value
New MSRP: Not commercially available
Used range: N/A
The Siasun DUCO is currently a corporate R&D asset, not offered for sale. There is no new or used market price. If SIASUN eventually commercializes the platform, pricing would likely be in the same range as other industrial humanoid prototypes from China (e.g., $100,000–$200,000 estimated) given its payload and sensor suite. Potential competitors like UBTECH Walker S or Fourier GR-2 are priced in that range, though the DUCO's wheeled base and 10 kg payload place it in a unique niche. For now, the DUCO serves as a technology demonstrator to highlight SIASUN's capabilities in full-body motion control and AI-accelerated perception. Organizations seeking a humanoid must look elsewhere until SIASUN decides to productize the design.
Who Is It For?
Best for: - Robotics research labs studying humanoid locomotion and manipulation (30–35 DOF platform for algorithm development) - Corporate R&D teams within SIASUN’s partner network exploring industrial humanoid applications (prototype access limited)
Not for: - Commercial deployment in factories (not available for purchase and lacks industrial certifications) - Buyers seeking a ready-to-use humanoid (platform is experimental and not supported for external customers)
Alternatives & Comparison
Although the DUCO is a prototype, it sits alongside a growing field of Chinese humanoid robots that are beginning to see limited enterprise availability. Key alternatives with actual or pending commercial programs are compared below.
| Model | Price | Available | Key Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| UBTECH Walker S | ~$150,000 (est.) | preorder | Bipedal walking vs DUCO’s wheeled base; higher payload potential but larger form factor. |
| Fourier GR-2 | ~$150,000 (est.) | preorder | More advanced hand dexterity and force control; designed for research and light industrial tasks. |
| Tesla Optimus Gen 2 | Undisclosed | no | Tesla’s mass-production ambition and advanced AI stack, but no external availability; DUCO is a known research platform. |
Verdict: The Siasun DUCO occupies a niche as a wheeled, high-DOF research platform with decent payload, but it’s not available for purchase. For organizations that need a commercially obtainable humanoid today, the UBTECH Walker S or Fourier GR-2 are the closest alternatives, each offering more mature bipedal walking and broader ecosystem support. DUCO is best considered as a benchmark for SIASUN’s internal advances rather than a buyable product.
Use Cases & Capabilities
Industrial Manipulation R&D
In an industrial R&D setting, the DUCO’s 10 kg payload and 5-fingered hands allow researchers to test assembly and machine tending tasks. Its wheeled base provides stable mobility on factory floors, though it lacks stair-climbing. The 30–35 DOF enable complex dual-arm coordination, making it suitable for studying fine manipulation sequences. However, its prototype status limits deployment to lab environments and partner facilities. Algorithms developed on this platform could later be transferred to commercial SIASUN cobots or future humanoids.
Human-Robot Interaction Research
The DUCO’s RGB/depth cameras and Linux-based OS support integration with AI models and LLMs, enabling experiments in safe physical interaction and collaborative tasks. Its safe-with-humans designation and collision detection allow researchers to study handover, gesture recognition, and voice-controlled operations without safety cages. The wheeled base simplifies navigation experiments compared to bipeds, reducing falls during HRI trials. The tall, anthropomorphic form factor makes social interaction studies more realistic.
Service Robotics Prototyping
SIASUN uses the DUCO to explore service robotics scenarios such as logistics support and inventory management. The robot’s 90–110 kg frame and 10 kg payload are suited for moving boxes or tools in controlled indoor spaces. With a runtime of 6–8 hours, it can operate for a full shift without recharging. The platform’s modular design allows sensor swaps to test different perception stacks for autonomous navigation. These demos feed into potential future service robot product lines.
Technology Demonstrations & STEM Outreach
As a showcase of SIASUN’s engineering capabilities, the DUCO appears at trade fairs and university collaborations, inspiring students and partners. Its wheeled base offers smooth, reliable movement for live demos without the risk of bipedal falls. The high-DOF arms and hands impress audiences with realistic grasping and waving. These events also help SIASUN gather feedback from potential industrial and academic users, shaping the roadmap for a commercial version.
History & Background
SIASUN Robot & Automation was founded in 2000 in Shenyang, China, and quickly became the country’s largest industrial robot manufacturer. The company developed a successful line of collaborative robots under the DUCO brand before expanding into humanoid robotics. The full-size humanoid DUCO was first publicly demonstrated around 2024 as a wheeled, dual-arm research platform. It showcases SIASUN’s in-house expertise in servo drives, precision reducers, and AI control. As of 2026, DUCO remains a prototype used internally for technology validation and has not been released as a commercial product. In parallel, SIASUN introduced the Songxing bipedal humanoid for hazardous-environment inspection, indicating a growing commitment to humanoid platforms.
Buying Used — What to Check
Verify payload rating Payload is critical for any real-world task. Early prototypes may have lower limits than advertised.
Confirm battery endurance Battery life of 6–8 hours is generous but may degrade over time; verify actual runtime of any used unit.
Assess software ecosystem Prototype software may lack updates or community support; ensure compatibility with your development tools.
