Beijing, China – At the recent World Robot Conference in Beijing, Chinese companies showcased a variety of humanlike robots demonstrating different capabilities. While some robots played musical instruments or fetched drinks, Tesla stood out by displaying its Optimus humanoid beside their vehicles. Elon Musk’s vision for Optimus includes tasks like folding laundry and potentially cooking or teaching children, with the aim of boosting Tesla’s value to $25 trillion. Despite these ambitious plans, it remains to be seen how well these humanoids can perform in practical applications, such as factory settings.
The World Robot Conference highlighted a growing trend in China towards investing in the development of humanlike robots. With over 100 billion yuan invested in the country’s robotics industry over the past decade, companies like Lanchi Ventures are looking towards the next milestone in humanoid development. Their partner, Wei Cao, predicts that within the next year or two, humanoids will be able to effectively perform tasks in manufacturing settings by autonomously prioritizing tasks and moving around.
In addition to Tesla’s Optimus, other companies like Agibot and Stardust Intelligence showcased their own humanlike robots at the conference. Agibot, founded by a former Huawei recruit, introduced a range of robots capable of serving various functions like sales, guiding, or picking parts in a factory. Stardust Intelligence’s Astribot S1 demonstrated tasks like folding clothes and pouring wine in promotional videos. These advancements reflect China’s rapid progress in developing humanoid technology.
Despite the impressive displays at the conference, challenges remain in developing fully autonomous humanoids. Companies are focused on addressing issues like power consumption and the ability to fully support tasks without human intervention. Shigeki Sugano, president of the Robotics Society of Japan, envisions a future where robots can perform household tasks and medical treatments, with the ability to express emotions. This vision, however, is projected to fully materialize only after 2050.
As the field of humanoid robotics continues to evolve, companies are exploring specialized functionalities to improve robot capabilities gradually. Limx Dynamics, for example, has designed a robot named P1 that excels at balancing on two legs and performing tasks like walking stairs. Such focused innovations contribute to the overall advancement of humanoid technology and bring us closer to a future where robots can collaborate seamlessly with humans in various industries.