China first robot gets into drama, film studies PhD programme, becomes online hit

China’s first humanoid robot has been accepted into a PhD programme in drama and film at a top university, causing a social media sensation.

Xueba 01 was developed by the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology in partnership with DroidUp Robotics.

Xueba is a popular Chinese slang term for a straight-A student known for top scores and deep knowledge.

An earlier version of the robot won third place in the world’s first humanoid half-marathon.

According to the Shanghai-based media outlet Shangguan News, Xueba 01 is 1.75m tall, weighs about 30kg, and can physically interact with people.