Humanoid robot industry gains momentum, boosting China's economy

A humanoid robot welcomes guests at the reception desk of Zhongguancun Forum in Beijing on April 27, 2024. This is not a scene from a sci-fi movie, but a collaboration between UBTECH, a Shenzhen-based robotics firm, and Chinese electric carmaker NIO, highlighting the rapid advancement in China's humanoid robot industry. This initiative aims to deploy UBTECH's industrial humanoid robot, Walker S, at FAW-Volkswagen's plant in East China's Qingdao, where the robot will undertake tasks such as bolt tightening, component assembly, and handling automotive parts. At the Innovation Conference 2024 held in Shenzhen, a technology hub and metropolis in southern China, over the weekend, Pang Jianxin, vice-president of UBTECH, said that humanoid robots were increasingly penetrating critical sectors of the manufacturing industry, including automobiles, computers, communications, and consumer electronics. "The standardized nature of industrial manufacturing makes it an ideal initial application area for humanoid robots," Pang said, highlighting that China's robust industrial base provides fertile ground for humanoid robot development.