Humanoid robots from Chinese company Unitree Robotics are seen at the backstage of China Central Television (CCTV) Spring Festival Gala in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 28, 2025. (Xinhua)
BEIJING, March 14 (Xinhua) -- The global market of humanoid robot is estimated to grow at an annual rate of over 30 percent in the following five years, with the Chinese market expected to approach the 1-trillion-yuan mark by 2030, according to Wang Tianyou, vice president of Tianjin University.
The remarks were made at a recently-held conference featuring embodied intelligent robot development in the northern city of Tianjin, where multiple companies specializing in intelligent embodied robots showcased their latest products and solutions.
It is believed that humanoid robots are entering into an era of mass production and application, especially with the mutual empowerment between the large model and robotics technologies.
-- Gradually achieving mass production and application
China's UBTECH has recently worked with Chinese electric automaker Zeekr to train humanoid robots for multi-task, multi-scenario factory operations at Zeekr's 5G-wired intelligent factory.
Earlier, Hangzhou-based robotics startup Unitree had revealed a remarkable evolution in its G1 humanoid robot's walking ability, featuring natural hip movements.
Such achievements shows the increasing vitality of the humanoid robot industry. Analysts note that primary application scenarios for robots in the near term will remain mainly within industrial settings. However, through accelerated software and hardware breakthroughs, humanoid robots are projected to achieve true commercial viability in people's homes.
Driven by the double engines of policy support and industrial innovation, China's robotics sector is poised for accelerated expansion, with the year 2025 recognized as a critical year for achieving mass production of robots.
Zhang Jianwei, a foreign academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said that artificial intelligence (AI) and embodied AI technologies are driving synergistic growth, with intelligent robots and automation technologies now expanding from industrial settings into societal domains including transportation, healthcare, agriculture, household services, education and so on.
-- Intelligence keyword for industry future
While the focus of the humanoid robot industry is shifting from hardware to software, intelligence remains the keyword.
With AI stepping into its 2.0 era, humanoid robots are poised to be the largest application scenario of AI technology, according to Zhongtai Securities. Currently, hardware development appears relatively mature, while continuous software iteration is key to driving sustained product competitiveness.
Robot joints are transforming from being "mechanical transmission units" to "intelligent organs". The theory of dynamic precision and the cloud service model will reshape the industry landscape, making it imperative for traditional reducer enterprises to transform in order to avoid being phased out, according to Shi Zhaoyao, a professor with Beijing University of Technology.
In terms of future development of intelligent, it is suggested to promote chain development to enrich the product spectrum, highlight safety governance to safeguard development, coordinate hardware and software development to achieve technological progress, and promote application-driven initiatives to foster engineering breakthroughs, said Dong Kai, a researcher with the China Center for Information Industry Development (CCID).
Wang Jihong, secretary-general of the China Association for Mechatronics Technology and Application, noted that the industry needs to achieve breakthroughs in multiple dimensions including technological achievements, application expansion, ethical consensus and so on.
The tackling of such challenges requires close collaboration throughout the industry chain, calling for collaborative building of an ecosystem that spans multiple disciplines and sectors, said Wang. (Edited by Yu Huichen with Xinhua Silk Road, yuhuichen@xinhua.org)
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