Beijing E-Town pilots "sandbox approval" for embodied robot performances; three companies receive admission certificates
During the 2026 World Robot Conference, Beijing E-Town launched the country's first "sandbox approval" pilot for embodied robot performances. Three companies—Shouxing Technology, Zhongke Huiling, and Akapani—were issued admission certificates, allowing them to take the stage for trial performances within designated safe areas. The review covers dimensions such as responsible entities, information security, and expression safety, and requires the deployment of professional safety officers; each performance must still report its plan and content to the regulatory platform, with on-site cameras providing real-time monitoring. Currently, Beijing Yizhuang has gathered more than 300 robotics and intelligent manufacturing ecosystem companies, with the industrial chain scale exceeding 20 billion yuan.
Body · AI translation
Who is responsible for the safety of robot performances? How should robot performances be approved? As embodied robots accelerate their entry into the entertainment field, these have become difficult problems facing enterprises and regulators.
"In the past, performance regulatory requirements were mainly formulated around live human performances, and many robot companies are also confused during performance and display—what counts as compliant?" Huang Hai, a relevant person in charge at the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area Administrative Approval Bureau, pointed out the crux: under the old approach, enterprises struggle; under the old rules, regulators have no basis to rely on.
What to do? The Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area has offered a new solution—issuing "sandbox performance permits" to embodied robots.
In August this year, during the 2026 World Robot Conference, the country's first "sandbox approval" pilot for embodied robot performances landed in Beijing Yizhuang. Three companies—Shouxing Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing Zhongke Huiling Embodied Intelligence Technology Co., Ltd., and Akapani (Beijing) Robotics Co., Ltd.—were awarded the "Embodied Robot Performance 'Sandbox Approval' Access Certificate." This certificate can be understood as an "entry credential" for embodied robot performances, that is, under the premise of controllable risks, allowing them to take the stage and conduct trial performances within a designated, safe and controllable scope.
What is the "sandbox approval" that issues the "sandbox performance permit"? "Sandbox approval" is a new type of inclusive and prudent approval model, mainly aimed at new technologies, new business forms, and new models for which there are currently no clear industry standards and existing regulations are difficult to adapt to. In June this year, the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area issued the "Work Plan for Carrying Out the 'Sandbox Approval' Pilot for New Quality Productive Forces (Trial)." Previously, the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area had already taken the lead in implementing the country's first sandbox pilot for commercial performances by digital humans. Now, performance "sandbox approval" has extended from virtual digital humans to physical robots.
How is the "sandbox performance permit" reviewed? "The review involves multiple dimensions such as the responsible entity, information security, and expression security. It also requires the deployment of trained professional safety officers to provide real-time support for the robots, as well as whether the company has long-term development plans," Huang Hai introduced.
Obtaining this access certificate is not a one-time, permanent matter. Every performance must be reported to the regulatory platform, and the performance plan and performance content must be reviewed. Professional cameras must be set up at the performance site for real-time monitoring, and the robot's operating status must also be shared in real time.
A "sandbox performance permit" gives enterprises confidence. A relevant person in charge at Shouxing Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd. said: "Now we are in very close contact with relevant departments, and we can also free our hands to present new products from the laboratory and new ideas from the company on new performance venues." A relevant person in charge at Beijing Zhongke Huiling Embodied Intelligence Technology Co., Ltd. said: "The robots all go on duty 'with certificates.' In the future, there will be a more standard and more regulated process for robots to enter the market and go international." A relevant person in charge at Akapani (Beijing) Robotics Co., Ltd. believes that "this allows our robots to have rules to follow from accepting customers to the end of the performance, making the robots safer and also making the audience safer."
Currently, Beijing Yizhuang has gathered more than 300 robotics and intelligent manufacturing ecosystem enterprises, with an industrial chain scale exceeding 20 billion yuan. With a "sandbox performance permit" in hand, safety officers below the stage, and cameras overhead, robots have already taken the stage, and in the future they will bring people more surprises on the basis of safety and compliance.
(Participating in the reporting and writing: Tian Kaihao, Ma Desheng)