Humanoid Robotics Industry Eyes Commercialization

China's humanoid robotics industry has been experiencing rapid growth during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021 — 2025). Empowered by large-scale AI models, humanoid robots are transitioning from a tech development phase to a large-scale commercial phase. This has seen the robots now used and operating in many daily scenarios, such as factories, hospitals and even homes.

According to a recent report, the humanoid robotics industry is expected to transition rapidly from the "technology validation phase" to the "large-scale commercialization phase" in 2025. It is projected that the scale of the global embodied AI market could reach 19.525 billion RMB, with China accounting for nearly half of that total.

Breakthrough in core technology accelerated

Ke Zhendong, vice president of Leju Robotics Co., Ltd. explained that the development of humanoid robots is deeply rooted in breakthroughs in embodied intelligence. This concept refers to the integration of AI into physical entities such as robots, enabling them to perceive, learn and interact with the environment in human-like ways.

The architecture of embodied AI comprises three core components: large-scale AI models, motion control algorithms, and the physical robotic body. Large-scale AI models are responsible for language interaction, environmental perception and task decisionmaking. Meanwhile, the motion control algorithms control the coordination of robot movements and body balance.

Zhong Xinlong, an AI expert at the China Center for Information Industry Development, noted that with rapid technological progress, humanoid robots are evolving from simple mechanical executors into AI-powered agents.

Currently, performing precise manipulation of irregularly shaped objects using low-cost hardware — including grasping, picking up and cutting, as well as more complex tasks such as folding clothes and preparing beverages — are possible.

China has made significant strides in motion control and responsiveness. For example, the humanoid robot Walker has demonstrated stable bipedal locomotion and precise manual operation, while the Tienkung robot can navigate autonomously and maintains stability even in complex environments.

Moreover, continuous breakthroughs in other core components, such as perception algorithms, which provide robots with the ability to perceive and understand their environment, have further enhanced robot performance, laying a solid foundation for large-scale application.

Humanoid robots here to stay

There are growing examples of how humanoid robots are shaping the future. Galbot, a humanoid robot developed by Chinese tech firm Beijing Galbot Co., Ltd., has been officially put to work in a smart factory in Beijing, where it performs complex tasks such as quality inspection, item sorting and logistics management. Relying solely on visual perception, it navigates around obstacles and accurately identifies objects in real time.

Another robot, Alpha Mini, serves as a companion in thousands of households in Shenzhen. It plays with children, tells stories, and even responds to family members based on their emotions.

The application of humanoid robots is the result of breakthroughs and integration across multiple key technologies.

Zhong said that although they have been deployed in specific scenarios, challenges still remain in terms of cost, reliability and intelligence before large-scale adoption can be achieved.

Ke acknowledged that the high cost of developing and manufacturing core components makes the current price of humanoid robots high.

However, as technology matures and mass production is realized, costs are expected to decline and humanoids be widely adopted for general purpose use.

Source: Science and Technology Daily