Chinese robotics firm UBTech has unveiled a new line of ultra-realistic humanoid robots it says are ​designed for companionship and emotional support, powered by ‌an AI system capable of recognising and responding to a wide range of human emotions.

The launch on Tuesday has sparked discussion ​on Chinese social media about the potential rise ​of AI-powered “cyber boyfriends” and “cyber girlfriends”. The robots are ⁠available in both male and female versions, with ​top-end models priced at up to 990,000 yuan ($145,835).

The U1 product ​line ranges from robotic torsos priced at 119,800 yuan to full-sized humanoid companions featuring highly realistic details such as visible pores, blood ​vessels and fingerprints.

The robots are equipped with an ​emotional large language model, UBTech said in a statement was designed for ‌long-term companionship. It said the system can identify more than 20 human emotions with an accuracy rate exceeding 90%.

The humanoids feature expressive faces and lifelike digital skin intended ​to enhance human-robot ​interaction.

UBTech said ⁠it has received 13,361 orders for the U1 series and aims to complete deliveries ​within this year.

The company expects China’s market ​for ultra-realistic humanoid robots to expand dramatically over the next decade. The industry “will grow from tens of billions of yuan ⁠to trillions ​of yuan between 2026 and ​2036,” Tan Min, UBTech’s chief branding officer, said.