Kaiwa Technology plans gestation robot with artificial womb

In Guangzhou, Kaiwa Technology is pursuing a development that would mark a radical shift in reproduction: a humanoid robot designed to carry a pregnancy to term inside an artificial womb. The company’s founder, Dr. Zhang Qifeng, has described the project as reaching a mature stage and anticipates a prototype capable of delivering a baby within the next year, with a price point around 100,000 yuan. The plan envisions a “gestation robot” that would host a fetus in a built‑in womb, receive nutrients through a controlled tube, and deliver a full gestation experience from conception to birth.

The project hinges on inserting the artificial pregnancy into the robot’s abdomen so that a real person and the robot can interact to achieve gestation. Dr. Zhang emphasizes that discussions with provincial authorities in Guangdong are ongoing as policymakers consider appropriate regulations and safeguards. The team argues that the technology would replicate the entire pregnancy journey, drawing on earlier research in which premature animals were sustained in biobags that provided a nutrient-rich environment and protective sac. While proponents tout potential benefits for women facing health...