World's first gestation robot expected within a year, sparking debate in China

A Chinese tech company is developing the world's first robot designed to simulate pregnancy, expected to launch within a year at a price below 100,000 yuan (about $13,900), multiple Chinese media outlets reported Monday.

Unlike traditional in vitro fertilization or surrogacy, the gestation robot simulates a uterine environment housed in a humanoid robotic body, aiming to replicate human pregnancy from conception to delivery, reports said. The device c

Screenshot photo from Xiaoxiang Morning Post

ombines an incubation pod with a robotic abdominal module.

Zhang Qifeng, founder and CEO of Kaiwa Technology, said this type of robot aims to address the needs of young people who want children but wish to avoid pregnancy themselves.

The topic trended on Weibo Monday, amassing over 100 million views by press time.

Supporters say the robot offers new options for infertile individuals and women seeking alternatives to pregnancy. But critics argue the technology raises legal and ethical questions about motherhood and identity, with one user commenting, "The problem is not that we don't want children, but the cost of raising them."

Experts pointed out that human fetal development relies on complex mechanisms like maternal hormone secretion and immune system interactions, noting that current technology cannot replicate the critical processes of neurological development and emotional bonding.

Founded in 2015 in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, Kaiwa Technology has also developed service and reception robots. Zhang earned his PhD from Singapore's Nanyang Technological University in 2014.