China’s Ambition in Humanoid Robots Showcased at 2024 Beijing Expo

At the 2024 World Robot Conference in Beijing, Chinese companies showcased 27 humanoid robots, with Tesla’s Optimus as the only foreign entrant, signaling China's ambition to lead the global robotics industry.

A Diverse Display of Robotic Innovation

The five-day event, which concludes Sunday, drew over 160 robotics firms from around the world, showcasing more than 60 new products, including 27 humanoid robots designed by Chinese companies. Despite not being recognized as global leaders in humanoid robotics, Chinese manufacturers are optimistic about repeating their successes in the smartphone and electric vehicle sectors.

AGIBOT and the Power of Large Language Models

One notable exhibitor, AGIBOT, founded by Huawei alumnus Li Zhihui, introduced robots powered by large language models (LLMs), capable of processing text, audio, and video for industrial and customer service applications. “LLMs have enabled a lot of new concepts and possibilities for robots,” commented Hu Jingping, an AGIBOT representative.

AGIBOT showcased its robots designed for industrial applications, where they can efficiently handle tasks like automated stacking, loading, and unloading materials in factories. Additionally, these robots are equipped to interact with customers in retail environments, offering initial assistance before human staff take over, according to Hu.

Innovative Robotics from Astribot, Galbot, and Deep Robotics

Other standout entries included Astribot’s S1 robot assistant, which demonstrated skills in calligraphy and playing the Chinese dulcimer, and Galbot’s wheeled robots capable of not only picking up and delivering customer orders but also efficiently organizing products on shelves for retail businesses.

Deep Robotics, a company based in Hangzhou and known for its advanced robot dogs used in hazardous industrial settings, unveiled the Dr.01. This humanoid robot is equipped with cutting-edge sensors and autonomous learning capabilities, marking the company's first foray into humanoid robotics.

Overcoming Challenges in the Robotics Industry

Despite the impressive demonstrations, industry experts highlighted significant challenges, including technological hurdles and high costs. Li Guangyu, head of data intelligence at the Beijing Embodied AI Robot Innovation Centre (BEAIRIC), emphasized the need for more data to train LLMs effectively. "Data is a key limiting factor...there is a lack of data in robot operations," Li noted. BEAIRIC is currently working to develop the world’s largest general-purpose database for robotics AI training.

Cost Barriers and the Future of Humanoid Robots

High costs also pose a barrier, with humanoid robots typically priced in the hundreds of thousands of yuan. Shao Hui, a manager at Juxie Intelligent, suggested that reducing prices to around 120,000 yuan (approximately $15,000) could make these robots more accessible to families.

China’s Drive to Dominate Humanoid Robotics

While China may lag slightly behind the U.S. in AI, the country's commitment to dominating the humanoid robotics field is evident. With 27 homegrown humanoid robots showcasing a wide range of capabilities at the event, the commercial availability of these robots may be closer than anticipated.