A research report released by Huxiu on Sept. 20 said that, as of August 2026, China had 106 publicly disclosed centralized embodied AI data collection centers. Of those, 84 were already in operation, accounting for 79.25% of the total. Among 52 centers that disclosed robot deployment figures, the combined number reached about 3,972 units, leading the report to estimate that more than 5,000 robots are currently running across such facilities nationwide.
The report said construction peaked in the first quarter of 2026, after which the number of newly launched projects fell sharply. That points to a shift from a phase of intensive project starts to one centered on operations. Regionally, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Guangdong led the count with 18, 17, and 11 centers, followed by Sichuan with 8 and Beijing with 7. On robot brands, AgiBot appeared 31 times, Leju 15 times, UBTECH 13 times, while Unitree Robotics and Galbot each appeared 10 times.
It also found that 65.96% of centers used a single robot brand, while 34.04% adopted a multi-brand strategy, with cross-embodiment data reuse still described as a challenge. In pricing, real-robot data was quoted at roughly 500 to 1,000 yuan per hour, non-embodied data such as UMI at about 300 to 400 yuan per hour, and simulated synthetic data at around 200 to 500 yuan per hour. Teleoperation-based collection accounted for 79.05%.
According to a research report released by Huxiu on Sept. 20, China had 106 publicly disclosed centralized embodied AI data collection centers as of August 2026. Of those, 84 were already in operation, representing 79.25% of the total.
Among the disclosed facilities, 52 centers provided robot deployment figures, with a combined total of about 3,972 units. Based on that, the report estimated that the number of robots operating in data collection centers nationwide has exceeded 5,000.
Construction pace has slowed after an early-2026 peak
The report said the construction boom came in the first quarter of 2026. After that, newly launched projects dropped noticeably, as the sector moved from intensive buildouts into a phase focused on operating existing centers.
Regional distribution and robot brands
By region, Jiangsu had 18 centers, Zhejiang had 17, Guangdong had 11, Sichuan had 8, and Beijing had 7.
On robot brands, AgiBot appeared 31 times, Leju 15 times, UBTECH 13 times, while Unitree Robotics and Galbot each appeared 10 times.
Brand mix and data pricing
The report found that 65.96% of data collection centers used a single robot brand, while 34.04% adopted a multi-brand approach. It added that cross-embodiment data reuse remains difficult.
For pricing, real-robot data is currently quoted at about 500 to 1,000 yuan per hour. Non-embodied data such as UMI is priced at roughly 300 to 400 yuan per hour, while simulated synthetic data is around 200 to 500 yuan per hour. Teleoperation-based collection accounted for 79.05%.
Commercial pressure is building
The report said centralized data collection has yet to form a stable commercial loop, with buyer growth trailing the expansion of collection bases. Centers that rely mainly on one-off construction funding will face greater operating pressure, and an industry shakeout has already begun.
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