With breakthroughs in artificial intelligence (AI) technology, humanoid robots show great potential and wide application prospects in many industries, ushering in a new wave of AI development, experts said at a forum at the World Artificial Intelligence Congress 2024 on Friday.
The Humanoid Robot Forum, hosted by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), invited experts from the AI industry and robotics to present the latest technological innovations in humanoid robots and share their insights on their applications and future challenges.
Wang Xiangyun, managing partner at Peakview Capital, an economic services platform specializing in science and technology innovation, said humanoid robots are an important path for developing robots towards artificial general intelligence (AGI) and an important carrier of embodied AI.
Oliver Tian, vice president of the International Federation of Robotics, said Industrial Revolution 5.0 is coming, a new stage of industrialization in which humans will work alongside advanced technology and AI-driven robots to improve workplace processes.
Embodied AI and humanoid robots will be the main topics at WAIC 2024. Four forums themed on embodied AI will be held, focusing on the state-of-the-art technology and application prospects of humanoid robots, as well as the outlook for embodied AI.
WAIC 2024 will also focus on showcasing innovative humanoid robot products. The exhibition will have a dedicated area for humanoid robots, with 25 humanoid robots on display.
Zhang Chaoyan / SHINE
Thomas Coughlin, president of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, will deliver the forum’s opening address.
The open-source general-purpose humanoid robot “Qinglong” was unveiled to the public on Thursday, marking the debut of China’s first full-size general-purpose humanoid robot model and the public release of related open-source technology.
Upon entering the exhibition area, visitors will encounter a variety of humanoid robots with unique shapes and multiple functions.
A large crowd had gathered in front of the “Humanoid Robot Vanguard Matrix” booth to see the “Eighteen Guardians,” 18 humanoid robots from 15 companies that achieve cooperative control using a variety of technological architectures.
Ti Gong
Eighteen humanoid robots from the “Humanoid Robot Vanguard Matrix” will welcome visitors.
Tesla’s humanoid robot “Optimus 2nd generation” was also unveiled at the exhibition. According to Tesla staff, it has a 30% faster walking speed and weighs 10 kilograms less than the first generation.
Zhang Chaoyan / SHINE
Compared to the first generation, the Optimus Gen 2 has changed color from gray to primarily white, with softer outer contours.
Fans of the science blockbuster The Wandering Earth 2 must have been impressed by the robotic exoskeleton featured in the film, and now its developer, ULS Robotics, has brought its star product off the big screen and into the real world.
ULS Robotics will be exhibiting a wearable robot product, the Humanoid Exoskeleton Composite Robot, which allows visitors to easily perform movements such as stretching and lifting.
The robot is 1.9 metres tall, has 27 flexible joints and can carry 40 kilograms, and can be used in physically demanding environments such as mining, automotive, aerospace and logistics, said Zhang Hua, the company’s marketing director.
Ti Gong
Visitors will try on a composite exoskeleton robot and try lifting dumbbells.
Leju Robotics, a high-end intelligent humanoid robot company, will exhibit its highly dynamic humanoid robot Kuavo at WAIC 2024.
According to the company, it is China’s first full-size humanoid robot with jumping capability and powered by the HarmonyOS operating system.
“The robot has been mass-produced and is being deployed in a variety of industries, including scientific research, exhibition hall guidance and industrial service applications,” said the company’s Takao Tanaka.
Photo by Zhang Chaoyan.
Kuavo will be demonstrating its movements at the Leju Robotics booth.
