Latest news with #robotics
Bloomberg
5 hours ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
China's Startups Race to Dominate the Coming AI Robot Boom
A few weeks ago, a Chinese startup called EngineAI gave an unusual demonstration of how today's robots learn. A female instructor with long blonde hair showed off a series of dance steps and then encouraged the company's humanoid robot to imitate her moves. 'Five, six, seven, eight,' she said. 'Let's go! Keep the flow.' Using computer vision and machine learning algorithms, the machine watched and listened — and then mimicked a series of steps from her dance routine. Over a few days, EngineAI's robot mastered the Axe Gang dance from the 2004 movie Kung Fu Hustle. A bit silly perhaps, but the dance represents a serious step for China's tech industry. After years of American companies like Boston Dynamics Inc. leading the development of humanoid — or people-shaped — machines, Chinese upstarts are now pushing the boundaries of innovation. In April, Beijing hosted the world's first robot half-marathon, where the city's X-Humanoid bested a field of 20 other bipedal machines. In May, Unitree Robotics, one of the country's prominent players, showcased its machines in what was billed as the first robot kickboxing tournament. While these events don't always go smoothly — 15 of 21 robots failed to complete the Beijing race — the point is progress, not perfection. China, which already has a higher density of robots per human on its factory floors than the likes of the US and Japan, is preparing humanoids to move into increasingly complex roles. EngineAI, Unitree and their competitors have started trials for everything from sorting garbage and delivering medicines in nursing homes to patrolling the streets alongside police officers and guiding tours through museums. The bots are quietly being tested for military combat, according to local media reports. Zhao Tongyang, founder and chief executive officer of EngineAI, figures 50 or 60 companies in China are working on humanoid development now, benefiting from the country's manufacturing expertise and robust government support. They're harnessing artificial intelligence models so the machines can learn how to handle new tasks on their own, without laborious programming for each situation. The company says it has orders for hundreds of its humanoids. 'China has many players involved and there are some very good talents among them,' said the 43-year-old Zhao during an interview over Zoom. 'I hope China will be first when it comes to robots.' The country's startups have caught the attention of Elon Musk, whose Tesla Inc. has set its sights on the humanoid market. On an April conference call, the billionaire said he thinks his Optimus robots lead the industry in performance, but China may end up dominating the field. 'I'm a little concerned that on the leaderboard, ranks 2 through 10 will be Chinese companies,' he said. Leadership in this field matters because humanoids appear poised to move beyond the realms of sci-fi and curiosity. Citigroup Inc. recently projected the market for the machines and related services will surge to $7 trillion by 2050 when the world could be populated by 648 million human-like bots. Beyond the monetary rewards are mind-rattling strategic implications for governments and countries. Whoever leads development of these humanoids could potentially command an army of indefatigable workers, caregivers and soldiers, redefining economic and political strength. Musk made the case in mid-May that the global economy could grow to 10 times its current size with the addition of robot labor. 'It unlocks an immense amount of economic potential,' Musk said during an appearance in Saudi Arabia. 'We're headed to a radically different world.' China's strength in this field isn't an accident. President Xi Jinping and the Communist Party sketched out blueprints for developing strategic technologies — including robotics — more than a decade ago. Local officials then offered financial incentives and support to entrepreneurs to reach Beijing's policy goals. In EngineAI's case, the Shenzhen government helped connect Zhao with funding and other resources. 'Although it is not the government that directly invests in us, at least the government's money is used to guide them to this industry and guide funds in this direction,' the founder said. 'I think this is a great thing.' China announced earlier this year it would invest 1 trillion yuan ($138 billion) in robotics and high tech in the next two decades, far more than the US or Europe. The US has formidable players in robotics — including Boston Dynamics, Agility Robotics, Figure AI and Tesla — and a long track record of technology breakthroughs. Yet some scholars warn that Beijing's approach may give China the edge in developing strategically important, capital-intensive sectors, like it has already done with electric vehicles and solar panels. 'The Chinese model of state-run capitalism might actually be better equipped,' said Julian Mueller-Kaler, director of the Strategic Foresight Hub at the Washington D.C.-based think tank, Stimson Center. 'Digital and tech advancements are geopolitical issues of the highest order.' While it's still possible the humanoid market never takes off, China is making an audacious bet that it will. The country is on track to produce more than 10,000 humanoid robots this year, or more than half of the machines globally, according to an April study from the China think tank Leaderobot and other institutions. 'China is winning the humanoids war, I have no doubt,' said Henrik I. Christensen, director of the Contextual Robotics Institute at the University of California San Diego. Zhao's career mirrors the country's embrace of robotics. After majoring in automation at university, he got into the field eight years ago, motivated not so much by Beijing's strategic priorities as the prospects for innovation. 'I believed that humanoid robots would definitely change the way of life for human beings,' he said. His timing was fortuitous. A few years earlier, Beijing had unveiled an ambitious program called Made in China 2025, which set goals for technological accomplishments over the next decade. The Communist Party's drive to develop humanoid technology stemmed from a looming labor crunch. The working-age population is expected to shrink by about 22% through 2050, according to the Lowy Institute in Sydney. The squeeze is particularly acute in manufacturing, with a projected shortfall of 30 million workers in 10 sectors by the end of this year, according to a report from government agencies, including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. This gap is aggravated by the younger generation's reluctance to take the kind of blue-collar factory jobs their parents embraced. China's strategy is to integrate people-like robots across sectors like manufacturing, healthcare and hospitality. Factory floors in China already boast a robot density that eclipses Germany and Japan, with levels doubling in just four years. It had 470 robots per 10,000 employees in 2023, well above the US at 295 robots for the same number of workers, according to the International Federation of Robots. Artificial intelligence models are helping humanoid robots become smarter, more adaptable machines. Startups like EngineAI and Unitree are refining their AI applications, allowing robots to see and recognize objects, plan movements, coordinate with each other and teach themselves how to adapt to new situations. 'Previously, robots were very stupid, right?' said Chang Lin, the co-founder and CEO of Leju Robotics, another ambitious startup. Today, the evolution of large language models, like those powering ChatGPT and DeepSeek, is bestowing intelligence on machines so they can learn tasks from their owners, he said. You could, for example, train one of the company's Kuavo robots how you want it to clean the floors or care for the flowers in your house — and then it would take over. 'It'll be easy,' he said. 'Form a data set for watering flowers, it will naturally water the flowers.' This kind of progress has China's robots making their way into the real world. UBTech Robotics Corp., based in Shenzhen, has deployed its 5-foot-6-inch Walker S1 to help assemble iPhones for Apple partner Foxconn Technology Group. More than 500 of its machines work in the auto factories of BYD Co., Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd. and FAW-Volkswagen, lifting boxes, sorting components and testing instruments. At the FAW-Volkswagen plant, they detect refrigerant leaks in air-conditioning systems, a task that could hurt the lungs of humans. Leju, also based in Shenzhen, is pushing the use of humanoids to sort and deliver medicines at elder-care facilities. At least a hundred of its machines have been delivered to carmakers including BAIC Motor Corp. and Nio Inc., exhibition halls in China and nursing homes in Suzhou. Colleges have also bought Leju robots for doing research. Susanne Bieller, general secretary of the Frankfurt-based International Federation of Robotics, sees China emerging as a leading player in humanoids as the country's startups work with its manufacturers to bring down costs and make machines more affordable. 'Within the next 5 to 10 years, we can expect it to be more widely adopted in industry,' she said. EngineAI spent years improving its robots' joints, making them lighter and smaller, while whittling away at expenses. In one case, Zhao and his 40-person engineering team redesigned a power joint that cost 20,000 to 30,000 yuan so they could produce it themselves for one-tenth the cost. Zhao also grew obsessed with figuring out how to create robots that could walk with a natural, human-like gait. He told staff early machines that take slow, awkward steps should be thrown in the trash. EngineAI built humanoids with refined leg joints and then integrated machine learning with neural networks so the machines could learn to walk, much like a real toddler. 'Collect a lot of very beautiful data from the human body, combine these data and let it walk,' he said. Still, even the most elegant humanoids won't have a future unless they provide value. People-like machines captured the popular imagination at least as far back as Isaac Asimov's writings in the 1950s, yet they've remained largely a novelty. Boston Dynamics has impressed tech geeks since its founding in 1992, but it's never built much of a business. Google and SoftBank Group Corp. each bought the startup and then sold it again without commercial success; it's now owned by Hyundai Motor Co. In Beijing, the humanoid half marathon meant to showcase the machines' capabilities instead demonstrated their limitations. One robot participant fell at the starting line. Another had its head fall off and roll on the ground. In the kickboxing tournament this month, the Unitree robots often lashed out at thin air or toppled over on their own, even though they were controlled by humans ringside. The vibe was less Terminator, more Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots. Humanoids 'just don't make economic sense for most people and companies for the foreseeable future,' said Romain Moulin, CEO of the French startup Exotec, which makes box-like robots for warehouses that he thinks are more utilitarian. Nevertheless, the number of believers is growing. In its 83-page report, Citigroup tapped 10 of its own staff and seven contributors to explain why it sees robots as a yawning opportunity. It describes such machines as 'physical AI' and predicts they will be used for autonomous driving, cleaning and deliveries. It forecasts that humanoids will be the fastest-growing segment of the robot market, with the flexibility to work in health care, factories, home cleaning, deliveries, supermarkets and hospitality. 'A big part of the thesis for humanoids is simple – we have engineered our manmade world to work for humans so humanoids can fit straight in without significant infrastructure changes,' the authors wrote. Musk has become a leading advocate. He said in April he expects to have thousands of Optimus robots working in Tesla factories by the end of the year, and he is confident of getting to a million units a year in less than five years. The robots aren't on sale for others yet, but they're expected to cost $20,000 to $30,000 as they hit the market in 2027. The economics of such machines will then become clearer, Citi contends. If Musk's prediction is accurate that humanoids cost about $25,000, the analysts calculate they would pay for themselves in 36 weeks, if compared with the lowest US minimum wage of $7.25. The payback equations are more compelling in the states and jobs where wages are higher. 'The argument for humanoids is not just economic. Some jobs are dangerous or undesirable for humans and are better suited for robots. In other cases, labour shortages exist and can fill these roles. Robots also don't leave or take holidays,' they wrote. Chang, the Leju Robotics CEO, said the growing number of humanoid startups in China is driving intense competition. Scores of companies have to race their rivals to integrate AI capabilities and physical innovations. 'The more people enter the industry, the better the industry will be,' he said. 'So what we need to do is to try our best to stay ahead.'— Saritha Rai and Jessica Sui
Reuters
13 hours ago
- Business
- Reuters
Robots
Follow on Apple or Spotify. Listen on the Reuters app. There's a global race for robot supremacy. From Shanghai to Silicon Valley, companies are trying to develop humanoids that can take on physical work. China is emerging as a major player thanks to abundant government support. Host Carmel Crimmins talks to Brenda Goh, Reuters bureau chief in Shanghai, and Anna Tong, Reuters technology correspondent in San Francisco, about the drive for humanoid labor. Plus, how to train your robot. For information on our privacy and data protection practices visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement. You may also visit to opt out of targeted advertising. Further Listening Budget deficits Coffee Critical Minerals
South China Morning Post
17 hours ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Unitree Robotics changes to joint stock limited company, fanning IPO speculation
China's top humanoid robot start-up Unitree Robotics has converted into a company limited by shares, a move that has fanned speculation around its public listing plans, as Chinese robotics firms rapidly expand amid the country's fervour for the artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled machines. Advertisement Unitree has changed from a limited liability company into a joint stock limited company, an equivalent to a company limited by shares, according to records on Chinese corporate database Qichacha published on Thursday. In a letter to business partners, the company said the move was 'due to company development needs', according to a report by the state-run Chinese news outlet Securities Times. A robot dog from Unitree is seen at Zhejiang Overseas Talent Innovation Park in Hangzhou, China, April 23, 2025. Photo: Dickson Lee A joint stock limited structure lets a company issue and transfer shares, allowing it to raise more capital as it scales up its operations. Chinese media outlets have called Unitree's restructuring a move that paved the way for its initial public offering. Hangzhou-based Unitree did not immediately respond to a request for comment. During Hong Kong chief executive John Lee Ka-chiu's visit to Hangzhou in April, Unitree founder and CEO Wang Xingxing reportedly told him that a listing in Hong Kong was a possibility. Advertisement
Entrepreneur
18 hours ago
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Nature Already Solved It: How Biomimicry Is Shaping the Future of Technology
At Clone, a pioneering robotics company headquartered in Poland and California, Wiktoria Kruk, Vice President of Biomechanics & Design, is spearheading a movement that fuses art, biology, and engineering into a new era of technological development—biomimicry. Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. In a world driven by relentless innovation, the most revolutionary ideas are often rooted in the ancient intelligence of the natural world. At Clone, a pioneering robotics company headquartered in Poland and California, Wiktoria Kruk, Vice President of Biomechanics & Design, is spearheading a movement that fuses art, biology, and engineering into a new era of technological development—biomimicry. Together with a multidisciplinary team of engineers, artists, investors, and researchers, Kruk is helping to reimagine what robots can become—not just machines, but human-compatible companions, designed with the same grace, adaptability, and responsiveness found in nature itself. Biomimicry: Nature as the Ultimate Engineer Biomimicry, the practice of emulating nature's time-tested patterns and strategies, sits at the core of Clone's design philosophy. Instead of designing from scratch, Kruk and her team draw inspiration from evolution's finest work: the human body. "Nature doesn't guess—it evolves," says Kruk. That ethos is what guides her work as she oversees the design of machines that mimic bones, muscles, tendons, and even vascular systems. One of her most significant breakthroughs is a soft-bodied biomimetic robot, created to adapt intuitively to human interaction. The secret lies in its materials—engineered for flexibility, sensitivity, and human touch. "The attempt to create a human-like machine is incomplete if it's not made in our likeness," she explains. "Those crafted with a deep understanding of their biological origins can operate on the same efficient principles that govern the human body.". From Studio to Lab: An Artist's Path to Robotics Wiktoria Kruk's journey to robotics began not in a lab, but in a studio. With over a decade of experience in fine arts, she cultivated her skills in abstract thinking, observation, and multidisciplinary collaboration. That foundation now informs her approach to engineering design, offering a rare and valuable perspective. "My passion for breaking down complex systems and finding elegant solutions led me naturally to Clone," she says. "Wrocław, the city where I studied, has become both my home and the hub of this incredible innovation." Her work demonstrates how creativity and precision can coalesce to create designs that are not only functional—but beautiful. Following Evolution's Lead Clone was founded in 2021 by Dhanush Radhakrishnan and Łukasz Koźlik on the insight that with an artificial muscle fiber that approaches human skeletal muscle in performance, across force, speed, and displacement, actuating an anatomically accurate, natural skeleton with this muscle fiber will result in truly human-level androids by strength, speed, range of motion, and its lifelike behavior. By replicating human bones, ligaments, muscles, tendons, and fascia directly from anatomy textbooks, Clone's founding team has developed a soft, low-cost android design whose hardware is capable of performing virtually any human task with sufficient intelligence. Today, the company spans two continents with offices in both Wrocław and Mountain View. The founders are investing across textile engineering, microfluidics, advanced materials, battery technology, and embedded robotics to deliver the first untethered, walking Clones. Simultaneously, the team is scaling up their effort to build a robot foundation model for general-purpose autonomy, which includes amassing a team of scientists and engineers in robot learning along with a massive, real-world data collection effort to bootstrap the first Clone brain. "If this project succeeds," says Kruk, "we'll have created the most intuitive, elegant, and beautiful robot in the world—because it's built according to nature's own principles." The philosophy is clear: evolution is not just a guide, it's a blueprint. The Clone Alpha: Biomimicry in Motion The team's flagship creation, Clone Alpha, is a triumph of this philosophy. With 206 synthetic bones and Myofiber artificial muscles, the robot mirrors the human musculoskeletal system with startling fidelity. The result is a machine capable of fluid, natural movement—ideal for real-world applications in caregiving, domestic environments, and 13interactive services. By transferring mundane labor to machines that can truly integrate with people's lives, we free human labor to focus on what can't be automated: emotional insight, creativity, and critical decision-making. The Art of Simplification Despite the advanced outcomes, the process itself is grounded in patience and simplification. Designing structures to replicate microscopic tissue and fiber systems that have evolved over billions of years is a monumental challenge. Kruk and her team engage deeply with the materials, iteratively refining their approach until solutions emerge naturally. "There are no shortcuts in this kind of design," she explains. "It's about listening to the material, understanding the motion, and staying close to the process.". This hands-on, tactile methodology has been key to developing soft robotic systems that perform reliably without sacrificing nuance. Technology and Nature in Harmony Looking ahead, Wiktoria Kruk envisions a world where technology and nature aren't at odds, but work in harmony to support human flourishing. By studying nature's intricacies—from the geometry of connective tissues to the rhythms of locomotion—she aims to create robots that are sustainable, empathetic, and deeply attuned to human needs. "Nature holds the answers to most of the challenges we face," Kruk says. Her vision isn't just about better machines—it's about better relationships between people and the tools they use. In an era where artificial intelligence and automation dominate headlines, Wiktoria Kruk's work is a powerful reminder that the best innovations are often the ones we rediscover. At Clone, biomimicry is more than a strategy—it's a mindset. It challenges us to see machines not as cold tools, but as organic extensions of ourselves.
South China Morning Post
18 hours ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
China claims advance in robotics software with operating system to support domestic chips
A Chinese company has launched a home-grown operating system for robots, which local media hailed as a 'major breakthrough' in robotics software, in the latest move by China to achieve self-sufficiency in advanced technologies. The Intewell operating system, unveiled by Beijing-based Kyland Technology on Thursday, is designed to serve as a foundational software system for embodied intelligent robots – machines capable of physical interaction with the world, according to a report by state-owned newspaper Securities Times. The new operating system combined various stages of robot operation, from semiconductor deployment to applications, into one system, and was designed to boost the adoption of domestic chips, Li Ping, chairman of Kyland, told Chinese media on Thursday. A man engages in a boxing match with the Unitree G1 humanoid robot at the 21st China International Cartoon & Animation Festival in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China on May 29, 2025. Photo: CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images 'Robots may become the convergence point for all human technologies … therefore, the electronic architecture of robots should not adopt foreign solutions,' Li was quoted as saying. The company's ultimate goal was to establish an embodied intelligence system based on major home-grown chips, he added. The new operating system is able to support the use of products from domestic chip designers, including Huawei Technologies, Hygon Information Technology and Loongson, according to Kyland. The launch of the system aligns with Beijing's broader push for self-sufficiency in strategic technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics amid rising geopolitical tensions and export restrictions from the US. It also comes as China's robotics industry is undergoing rapid expansion, with a growing number of start-ups shifting their products from laboratory demonstration to mass production.
