BYD's humanoid design patent surfaces while a formal debut waits

In short: On Oct 9, 2026 China's National Intellectual Property Administration published a design patent for an "embodied intelligent robot" held by BYD. Images show a bipedal machine with articulated fingers, an oval screenless head, and exposed joints — intended for walking, balancing and interaction in service, education or industrial settings. The filing protects appearance only; it does not prove performance or a production schedule.

What we know vs. what we don't

• Patent: design registration covering look-and-feel; grant published around Oct 6–9, 2026 (CnEVPost / CNIPA coverage).
• Not a launch: BYD told China Securities Journal in July it hoped to unveil a humanoid in August at Di Space; as of the patent story, no formal product debut had happened.
• Channel plan: EVP Stella Li has said she hopes to put 2–3 robots in every BYD dealership to demo cars, and that home/service robots could eventually ride the dealer network.
• Prior specs (reported, not in the design patent): CarNewsChina cites previously disclosed figures for the teased "Xiao Di" — about 1.61 m, 58.5 kg, 31 degrees of freedom, and a dexterous hand with ±1 mm repeatability. BYD has not confirmed the patent equals the final Xiao Di.

Why it matters

Automakers already own factories, software stacks and retail floors. A humanoid from BYD would test whether that industrial base transfers to embodied AI — starting with showrooms, not living rooms.