Humanoid robots gain momentum in commercial rollout in China
HEFEI: Standing 1.67 metres tall and weighing 65 kilograms, a humanoid robot named Mornine professionally introduces and recommends the latest car models to clients at a Chery automobile 4S store in Malaysia.
Powered by advanced devices such as 3D lidar, panoramic camera and large language model, Mornine can autonomously plan its walking routes and promptly respond to consumer inquiries.
In late April, the first batch of 220 such humanoid robots developed by Moga Technology Co., Ltd, a subsidiary of Chinese carmaker Chery, was officially delivered to clients worldwide.
Zhang Guibin, president of Moga Technology, said that the robots will first be deployed at automobile 4S stores, then in public service places such as supermarkets, before finally entering households.
Thanks to rapid advancements in technologies such as AI and large language models, China's robotics industry is undergoing a rapid transformation from laboratory research to mass production and applications.
The industry is expected to see a market boom in the coming years. According to the Chinese Institute of Electronics, China's humanoid robot market is projected to reach 870 billion yuan (about US$121 billion) by 2030.
The deep integration of AI, 5G communications, and brain-inspired computing is driving robotics into a new phase of embodied intelligence, said Liu Hong, director of the State Key Laboratory of Robotics and Systems.
Chinese robotics firm EngineAI launched two robot models on an e-commerce platform in mid-April, with its flagship model PM01 boasting 24 degrees of freedom, or the number of movable joints, and a movement speed of 2 metres per second.
This robot is capable of performing complex movements such as front flips and dancing, and can even assist police officers in street patrols.
"As a high-performance hardware platform, the PM01 supports integration with a variety of developer ecosystems, making it adaptable to diverse application scenarios," said Zhang Shan, office director of EngineAI Hefei branch. So far, the robot has already been deployed in education, security patrols and firefighting, and the target is to deliver 1,000 units this year.
These smart robots are also making inroads into industrial applications.
Five Kuavo humanoid robots, developed by Leju Robotics, have been introduced to the production lines of Chinese carmaker FAW Hongqi this year, where they transport boxes for long hours.
"Our Kuavo humanoid robots are primarily designed for logistics scenarios, such as transporting containers and sorting documents. The bipedal design offers advantages in moving in confined spaces or climbing stairs," said Wang Shuai, deputy general manager of Leju Robotics Hefei branch.
According to Wang, the robots are currently in the testing and development phase and they will officially start to work in factories by year-end.
Regions across China are investing heavily to foster this future industry. Hefei, capital of Anhui Province, has established a 10-billion-yuan fund to promote its smart robotics industry. Similar initiatives are underway in the provinces of Guangdong, Sichuan and Shanxi.
Intelligence is the main focus of Hefei's industrial development strategy for the next decade, with intelligent robots forming a key part of the blueprint, said Wang Haixia, deputy mayor of Hefei.
In 2024, the output value of Hefei's intelligent robotics industry exceeded 50 billion yuan, with the number of relevant enterprises increasing by 83 per cent year on year.
As a new tech hub, the city is now home to over 160 enterprises across the entire robotics value chain, from R&D to manufacturing.
Despite rapid progress, industry insiders widely believe that the mass application of robots still faces multiple challenges, such as an underdeveloped embodied brain and difficulty in expanding application scenarios.
The smart robotics industry requires collaborative efforts to establish shared technological platforms, complete the list of application scenarios and build a more robust industrial ecosystem, said Liu. - Xinhua
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