Honor Robot 'Yuanqizai' Powered by Nations Technologies N32H MCU: Chinese Chips Enter AI Robotics
Honor's newly launched AI companion robot 'Yuanqizai' has been confirmed to feature Nations Technologies' N32H series high-performance MCU, marking the first entry of a domestic MCU into the core control domain of branded consumer AI robots. This partnership not only showcases Nations' expertise in motor control and multi-sensor fusion but also opens new opportunities for domestic MCU adoption in humanoid and service robots.
Chinese Chips Seize the AI Robotics Opportunity
In 2026, humanoid robots and AI companion robots have become the hottest segments in the technology industry. Tesla Optimus and Xiaomi CyberDog continue to iterate, while domestic startups sprout at a rapid pace. Yet at the core control chip level, solutions from NXP, STMicroelectronics, and Texas Instruments still dominate. Whether domestic MCUs can establish a foothold in this high-value scenario has been a key industry question.
In April 2026, Honor delivered a resounding answer. Its newly launched AI companion robot "Yuanqizai" has been confirmed to feature Nations Technologies' N32H series high-performance MCU as the core control chip, responsible for motor drive, attitude control, and multi-sensor fusion processing.
N32H Series: An MCU Platform Built for Robot Control
The N32H series from Nations Technologies is designed for high-performance real-time control scenarios, with key features directly addressing core robotics requirements:
- ARM Cortex-M4F core at up to 240MHz: integrated FPU and DSP instructions for the intensive PID and matrix computations found in robot motion control
- Multi-channel high-precision PWM: supports up to 24 PWM outputs for simultaneous control of multiple servos and BLDC motors
- High-speed ADC (5MSPS): enables real-time acquisition of high-speed signals from IMUs and torque sensors
- Rich communication interfaces: CAN-FD, UART, SPI, I2C for high-speed data exchange with AI co-processors, LiDAR, and camera modules
- Hardware security engine: securing OTA firmware updates and user data
In the Yuanqizai application, the N32H MCU serves as the robot's "cerebellum"—handling real-time motion control, balance maintenance, and haptic feedback—while higher-level AI voice interaction and visual recognition run on the application processor. This AP+MCU heterogeneous architecture represents the mainstream design paradigm for today's service robots.
Hengsen Technology Perspective
Honor's selection of Nations Technologies MCU for Yuanqizai carries significant implications for Hengsen Technology. First, it validates that domestic MCUs are now capable of entering brand-name consumer electronics core control applications—a milestone that will encourage more robotics manufacturers to consider domestic alternatives in component selection. Second, motor control and sensor fusion represent core competencies of Hengsen's technical team, positioning us to offer robotics customers end-to-end support spanning MCU selection, driver development, and system-level debugging.
With service robot shipments projected to exceed 20 million units in 2026-2027, we are bullish on the N32H series' prospects in this high-growth market.
Sources: East Money, Honor, Nations Technologies