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The Mainichi
17-05-2025
- Business
- The Mainichi
Chinese startup shows off applications of race-winning humanoid robot
BEIJING (Kyodo) -- A Chinese startup demonstrated Friday in Beijing how a robot that recently won a humanoid-only half marathon race can work in a wide range of areas, including manufacturing, logistics, home and health care services. The developer of the Tien Kung robot, which finished first among the 20 teams in the foot race last month with a time of 2 hours and 40 minutes, demonstrated to overseas media the machine's functionality such as putting fruit on a plate and completing warehouse logistics tasks. An official of Beijing Innovation Center of Humanoid Robotics Co. told reporters, "We hope that Tien Kung will not only be the fastest robot in the future but also the most practical." It can be used for various purposes such as operations that are too dangerous for humans, as well as helping to improve productivity and efficiency, he added. The robot also demonstrated its ability to negotiate an incline and walk on sand, grass and gravel surfaces. China has been keen to promote the development of cutting-edge products such as artificial intelligence-powered humanoid robots and new energy vehicles as it engages in an intensifying technology rivalry with the United States. In August, the city of Beijing is scheduled to host the World Humanoid Robot Sports Games, which will include track and field, gymnastics and football events designed to test the machines' athletic dexterity, coordination and teamwork capabilities.
GMA Network
17-05-2025
- Business
- GMA Network
China's humanoid robots will not replace human workers, Beijing official says
A humanoid robot Tiangong by Beijing Innovation Center of Humanoid Robotics Co. moves an orange as a demonstration at its company, during an organized media tour to Beijing Robotics Industrial Park, in Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, also known as Beijing E-Town, China May 16, 2025. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang BEIJING - China's humanoid robots will not replace human workers and cause mass unemployment, according to a Chinese official who oversees a tech hub in Beijing, amid a rapid expansion of the sector and state funding for it. Liang Liang, a deputy director at the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, which hosts one of China's largest tech hubs, said in an interview on Friday with foreign media that he does not believe that humanoid robots will replace their human creators, but will boost productivity and operate in hazardous environments. "We don't believe robots will make people unemployed, but rather they'll boost efficiency or take on tasks humans are unwilling to do - like exploring the vast universe or the ocean depths where people can't go. Machines can assist us in that exploration," Liang said. "When it's nighttime and humans need rest, machines could keep working, giving us better, cheaper, and more user-friendly products. So we see this as the direction for our future development," he added. Liang explained that the world's first robot half-marathon held last month in Beijing was deliberately set up in a way that would highlight his and other officials' hopes that these humanoids will support and assist humans, rather than replace them. The half-marathon featured two tracks separated by a railing, with humans competing against each other on one side while on the other side 20 teams each operated a robot, varying wildly in size and ability. "You see, in the marathon, humans have their track where they push their physical limits, and the machines have their own track where they jointly challenge their limits - but they aren't trying to take over the human course to sprint to the finish line. The future will be like this too," Liang said. Liang spoke to reporters at the headquarters of state-backed X-Humanoid, also known as the Beijing Humanoid Robotics Innovation Centre, whose robot Tiangong Ultra won the inaugural robot half-marathon. Besides the sports-focused Ultra model, which can reach a top speed of 12 kph (7.56 mph), the center also displayed other protypes that showed it was working on robots that can complete mundane tasks in the face of obstructions and changing environments. In one demonstration, an employee repeatedly moved the position of a piece of litter or snatched it from the robot's hand, which would then relocate the object and carry out the task until it was completed, a self-corrective ability the center says will be key in turning the humanoids into productive workers. —Reuters
