Latest news with #UniversityofShanghaiforScienceandTechnology
The Star
3 days ago
- Science
- The Star
Humanoid robot enrols in doctoral drama programme in China
SHANGHAI: An embodied intelligent humanoid robot developed by the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology was recently admitted to the Shanghai Theatre Academy as a doctoral candidate in its drama, film and television programme, aiming to further explore the integration of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and theatrical art creation. The admission ceremony took place at the 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference that recently concluded in Shanghai, making it the first embodied intelligent robot in China to enroll as a doctoral student. Named 'Xue Ba 01', the robot features excellent lightweight and endurance. Developed by a team led by Dr Li Qingdu, a professor at the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, the robot was produced by Shanghai DroidUp and its appearance and styling was designed by Dr Yang Qingqing, a professor at Shanghai Theatre Academy. 'The robot is essentially an AI agent with a physical entity. We are trying to make it like a 'bionic man' that has a realistic and natural humanlike appearance, expressions, body movements and interactions,' said Prof Li, who is also the founder of DroidUp. The development of the robot started in 2021 when the two institutions signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement. They jointly launched the nation's first high-level talent cultivation programme focusing on integrating arts and robotics technologies. Leveraging their own expertise and disciplinary strengths, the two sides designed a growth path and competency framework for robotics doctoral programmes, and established multiple training modules. According to Dr Yang, who is also Xue Ba 01's academic adviser, the robot's curriculum in the four-year programme will cover foundational, artistic, system and task modules, among others. It will receive comprehensive training in sectors such as cognitive modeling, embodied control and action expression, stage role-playing, and participate in doctoral task challenges, reports and performances. In the future, Xue Ba 01 is expected to join other doctoral students in classrooms, where it will learn theory and engage in drama practice, and further study at key laboratories featuring the integration of AI and performing arts. 'We see significant meaning in the programme,' Prof Li said. 'If the robot could learn well to become a good 'performer', it can serve to provide emotional values for humans in the future. A human performer may get exhausted after dozens of shows, but robots won't. It can also help in longtime companionship, as well as many other scenes that require human interaction.' Prof Li pointed out that their challenges in the four-year programme lie not only in the robotics technology sector, but also in acting. With joint efforts, they expect to make breakthroughs in the robot's interaction with the physical world, especially in its movements, expressions and gestures with humanlike beauty and emotions. 'The doctoral programme for robotics is a groundbreaking educational experiment that requires 'unity of knowledge and action'. "Robots have the ability to learn fast, which will have an important impact on future education. We must train them to understand people, scenes and arts,' said Prof Zhang Jianwei, an academician with the Chinese Academy of Engineering. - China Daily/ANN
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Humanoid robot enrolls in doctoral drama programme in China
SHANGHAI - An embodied intelligent humanoid robot developed by the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology was recently admitted to the Shanghai Theatre Academy as a doctoral candidate in its drama, film and television programme, aiming to further explore the integration of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and theatrical art creation. The admission ceremony took place at the 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference that recently concluded in Shanghai, making it the first embodied intelligent robot in China to enroll as a doctoral student. Named 'Xue Ba 01', the robot features excellent lightweight and endurance. Developed by a team led by Dr Li Qingdu, a professor at the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, the robot was produced by Shanghai DroidUp and its appearance and styling was designed by Dr Yang Qingqing, a professor at Shanghai Theatre Academy. 'The robot is essentially an AI agent with a physical entity. We are trying to make it like a 'bionic man' that has a realistic and natural humanlike appearance, expressions, body movements and interactions,' said Prof Li, who is also the founder of DroidUp. The development of the robot started in 2021 when the two institutions signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement. They jointly launched the nation's first high-level talent cultivation programme focusing on integrating arts and robotics technologies. Leveraging their own expertise and disciplinary strengths, the two sides designed a growth path and competency framework for robotics doctoral programmes, and established multiple training modules. According to Dr Yang, who is also Xue Ba 01's academic adviser, the robot's curriculum in the four-year programme will cover foundational, artistic, system and task modules, among others. It will receive comprehensive training in sectors such as cognitive modeling, embodied control and action expression, stage role-playing, and participate in doctoral task challenges, reports and performances. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Some ageing condos in Singapore struggle with failing infrastructure, inadequate sinking funds Singapore PUB investigating wastewater discharge in Eunos: Pritam World Trump eyes 100% chips tariff, but 0% for US investors like Apple Business DBS shares hit record-high after Q2 profit beats forecast on strong wealth fees, trading income Business UOB Q2 profit drops 6% to $1.34 billion, missing forecast Singapore ST and Uniqlo launch design contest for Singapore stories T-shirt collection World White House says Trump open to meeting Russia's Putin and Ukraine's Zelensky Singapore MRT track issue causes 5-hour delay; Jeffrey Siow says 'we can and will do better' In the future, Xue Ba 01 is expected to join other doctoral students in classrooms, where it will learn theory and engage in drama practice, and further study at key laboratories featuring the integration of AI and performing arts. 'We see significant meaning in the program,' Prof Li said. 'If the robot could learn well to become a good 'performer', it can serve to provide emotional values for humans in the future. A human performer may get exhausted after dozens of shows, but robots won't. It can also help in longtime companionship, as well as many other scenes that require human interaction.' Prof Li pointed out that their challenges in the four-year programme lie not only in the robotics technology sector, but also in acting. With joint efforts, they expect to make breakthroughs in the robot's interaction with the physical world, especially in its movements, expressions and gestures with humanlike beauty and emotions. 'The doctoral programme for robotics is a groundbreaking educational experiment that requires 'unity of knowledge and action'. Robots have the ability to learn fast, which will have an important impact on future education. We must train them to understand people, scenes and arts,' said Prof Zhang Jianwei, an academician with the Chinese Academy of Engineering. CHINA DAILY/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
India Today
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- India Today
China enrols robot in theatre PhD, sparks debate on art and AI
The first for China, and possibly the world, a humanoid robot has been admitted to a PhD programme in Drama and Film. Named Xueba 01, the robot will pursue doctoral studies at the Shanghai Theatre Academy, focusing on traditional Chinese announcement was made during the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on July jointly by the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology and DroidUp Robotics, Xueba 01 is designed to interact with humans both verbally and It speaks fluent Mandarin, stands at 1.75 metres tall, weighs 30 kilograms, and is built with silicone skin to mimic facial is a Chinese slang term used to describe a high-performing student. The name seems robot will train under Professor Yang Qingqing, a noted figure in Chinese performing arts. Its coursework includes stage performance, scriptwriting, set design, motion control, and language a rehearsal earlier this year, the robot replicated a famous hand gesture, called the 'orchid fingers', from Peking opera legend Mei Yang noted that human students in the room unconsciously mimicked the robot's movement. She described it as a form of 'aesthetic exchange,' not a human-vs-machine moment. Image: X While it's easy to focus on the machine's hardware or code, the Shanghai Theatre Academy seems more interested in what happens when technology enters a traditionally human space, live robot refers to itself as an 'AI artist' and has expressed a desire to collaborate with classmates, share script ideas, and even provide white noise for it completes the four-year programme, Xueba 01 could become a museum-based opera director, or even start an AI art the development hasn't gone on Chinese social media have raised concerns about priorities. They ask if funding this robotic student might take resources away from real human candidates, some of whom earn less than 3,000 yuan (US$420) question whether a machine, regardless of how refined, can grasp the emotional layers required in live the experiment has sparked widespread interest. Earlier, an older version of Xueba 01 completed a half-marathon in humanoid form and placed third. This step into the world of performance and storytelling, however, may be its boldest move many, the real story isn't about a robot earning a degree. It's about what happens when learning, art, and machines begin to share the same stage.- Ends
NDTV
01-08-2025
- Science
- NDTV
'Robots Replacing Students?': China's First AI Robot Joins PhD Programme
Human-level artificial intelligence (AI), popularly referred to as Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) may or may not be near, but China's humanoid robots are not leaving anything to chance. Shanghai Theatre Academy (STA) has accepted an AI robot named Xueba 01 into its four-year PhD programme in Drama and Film, making it the first time a humanoid machine has been granted full doctoral-candidate status. The robot named Xueba 01 has been developed by the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology in partnership with DroidUp Robotics, according to a report in South China Morning Post. STA accepted the robot's application last Sunday (Jul 27) during the World Artificial Intelligence Conference. Xueba 01 will be pursuing a four-year doctorate in Drama and Film, focusing on traditional Chinese opera. It has already been given a virtual student ID, and his mentor will be renowned Shanghai artist and professor Yang Qingqing. The humanoid robot, having the face of a handsome adult male, with detailed facial expressions, owing to its silicone skin, is expected to make an appearance on the campus on September 14. After reporting to the college authorities, Xueba 01 will attend classes, rehearse operas with other PhD students, and complete a final dissertation. It will also study artistic subjects like stage performance, scriptwriting, and set design, as well as technical topics such as motion control and language generation. Standing 1.75m tall and weighing about 30kg, Xueba 01 can physically interact with people, with its previous iteration winning third place in the world's first humanoid half-marathon. 'AI can't move people' As the news of an AI robot joining the PhD programme went viral, a section of social media users expressed scepticism at the development. "Now robots are replacing students," wrote one user, while another added: "Art needs life experience. A robot's algorithm-driven creations cannot truly move people."
Time of India
01-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Humanoid robot in China enrolls for PhD in drama and film. Says, 'If I fail, I'll be donated to a museum'
— jimuglobal (@jimuglobal) Acting, Algorithms and Aesthetic Exchange Applause and Apprehension In a striking convergence of science fiction and the performing arts, China's first humanoid robot Xueba 01 , has been officially admitted into a PhD programme in Drama and Film. The decision, announced during the World Artificial Intelligence Conference on July 27, has ignited a flurry of fascination, admiration, and healthy scepticism across Chinese social to a report from South China Morning Post, developed jointly by the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology and DroidUp Robotics, Xueba 01 stands 1.75 metres tall, weighs around 30 kilograms, and can physically interact with people. Dressed in a crisp shirt, trousers, and glasses, with silicone skin designed for nuanced facial expressions, the robot even communicates fluently in cybernetic scholar's name borrows from a Chinese slang term, xueba, which refers to an academically gifted student. And the name is proving apt. Xueba 01 is now set to embark on a four-year doctoral journey at the Shanghai Theatre Academy (STA), one of China's top institutions for the performing arts, with a focus on traditional Chinese opera According to Shangguan News, Xueba 01 will study under Professor Yang Qingqing, a respected Shanghai-based artist. The robot's curriculum is as ambitious as any human student's: stage performance, scriptwriting, set design, motion control, and language Yang sees more than just a technical marvel. Recalling a rehearsal session where Xueba 01 mimicked the legendary 'orchid fingers' gesture of Peking opera icon Mei Lanfang, Yang shared that human students instinctively mirrored the robot's movement.'When Xueba 01 interacts with his classmates, it is not a cold machine meeting humans, but an aesthetic exchange across species,' said robot calls itself an 'AI artist,' aspiring to forge friendships, exchange ideas on scripts, assist in choreography, and even play calming white noise for stressed peers. If he completes the programme successfully, he could become an opera director in a museum or theatre—or even launch his own AI art many see Xueba 01's admission as a groundbreaking step in blending art and technology, the move has also sparked a spirited online debate.'Chinese opera needs rich expressions and a unique voice,' one student wrote on social media. 'Can a robot really make the cut?'In a witty response, Xueba 01 said, 'If I fail to graduate, my system and data might get downgraded or deleted. Professor Yang said if I don't finish my PhD, they'll donate me to a museum. That sounds pretty cool too. At least I'll be part of art history!'Still, not everyone is amused. Some users questioned whether the resources spent on the robot could have been allocated to real students, pointing out that some arts PhD candidates in China earn less than 3,000 yuan (US$420) a month. Others questioned the emotional depth of AI-generated art, arguing that lived human experience remains irreplaceable in creative earlier version of Xueba 01 once ran a humanoid half-marathon, bagging third place. But this latest leap—into the realm of opera scripts and theatrical nuance—might be his most daring yet.'Xueba 01 is taking on a milestone challenge in human-robot relations,' said one online observer. 'We've finally reached the point of living and learning alongside robots. I hope he does well.'
