China's Honor developing humanoid robots in US$10 billion AI plan
HONOR Device, the smartphone maker spun out from Huawei Technologies, is developing humanoid robots as part of its push into China's crowded artificial intelligence (AI) arena.
The Shenzhen-based company's department for new business opportunities has decided to go further with robotics including human-shaped machines, it said on Wednesday (May 28). It announced in March a US$10 billion initiative to expand into new industries, with a focus on AI and novel applications.
China is leading the way in humanoid robotics with a handful of promising startups that have recently raised their profile.
Last month, Beijing hosted a robot half-marathon that was completed by only a few of the 21 robots that entered. Nvidia chief Jensen Huang has said the field has the potential to turn into a trillion-dollar industry, especially in factories and warehouses designed for human workers.
Honor's expansion into robots would mirror efforts by the likes of Xiaomi, which has gotten into making electric vehicles and smart factories, to diversify away from commodity electronics. Such as rivals Oppo and Vivo, Honor is building its own agentic AI services that will be integrated into its software for smartphones and other devices. BLOOMBERG
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