China sees rise of humanoid robots as ‘disruptive innovation’ that will spur economic growth
- Just months old, the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Centre says it will release a humanoid robot body soon, but core components still appear out of reach amid tech war
- Ambitious plan announced as China is pushing for technological innovations and self-reliance in the face of tech hurdles erected by the West
A new robotics centre in Beijing has revealed intentions to release a general-purpose humanoid robot prototype that is being hyped as an “important symbol” of technological innovation and high-end manufacturing at a time when Chinese leadership is pushing for both against the backdrop of a tech war with the United States.
“It is the dream of every humanoid robot company to bring humanoid robots into thousands of households,” an unnamed source with the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Centre was quoted as saying by the Beijing Youth Daily.
The centre was reportedly established late last year under a collaborative effort involving private and state-owned enterprises that manufacture robots. These were said to include Xiaomi, UBTech and Jingcheng Machinery Electric, along with the Institute of Automation at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Deemed a “person in charge”, the source said leading experts and R&D personnel from the robotics industry had been assembled at the centre, which was looking to create “a common technological platform, a public service platform and regulatory standards for the humanoid robot industry”.
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“In the future, humanoid robots may enter automobile manufacturing, 3C manufacturing and other fields, thereby further improving the industrial manufacturing level,” the source said, with “3C” referring to computer, communication and consumer electronics.
