Aug. 23, Beijing (APP): At the 2024 World Robot Conference (WRC), the state-of-the-art humanoid robots took center stage on Friday. They unveiled over ten innovative robotics products and highlighted Yizhuang’s significant position as a global leader in robotics innovation.
The five-day conference, which got underway on August 21 in Yizhuang, Beijing, revealed a number of innovative developments and represented a substantial step forward in the incorporation of advanced robotics into diverse industries.
The “Tiangong” humanoid robot, which displayed amazing new abilities including dancing, bowing, and voice-guided object handling, was one of the main attractions.
“Tiangong,” created by the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center Company, initially attracted notice in April 2024 when it was able to run at a speed of six kilometers per hour, making it the first full-size electric-driven humanoid robot in history to run like a person.
Four months later, an embodied AI model and predictive reinforcement learning have allowed “Tiangong” to be upgraded with improved movement capabilities. Zhang Qiang, a specialist in humanoid robot algorithms, told CEN that “this enables the robot to understand and execute human commands with precision, laying the foundation for more complex human-robot interactions.”
The Walker S Lite humanoid robot from UBTECH, which has started operational trials in smart factories and can handle materials in automotive plants, was also showcased at the conference. With its deployment, Walker S Lite has proven that it is a humanoid robot capable of revolutionizing production efficiency—it is the first to execute full-process material handling activities in a national industrial context.
Significant progress was also made in medical robots with the introduction of ROPA, the first orthopedic surgery robot in the world with AI and deep learning capabilities. ROPA, created by Changmugu, is a significant advancement in surgical precision; it can perform procedures with sub-millimeter accuracy and generate customized 3D surgical plans in a matter of minutes.
Zhang Yiling, President of Changmugu, stated, “This innovation not only addresses critical challenges in traditional surgical procedures but also reduces surgery time and risks while also enhancing patient outcomes.” Among the other noteworthy displays was Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot, which had its Beijing debut with 28 movable joints and cutting-edge motor control systems. The robot’s design highlights how quickly humanoid robots is progressing, especially in terms of mobility and adaptability.
Two key factors contributing to Yizhuang’s rise as a worldwide robotics hub are its strong industrial ecosystem and its strategic efforts. A whole system for promoting innovation has been put in place by the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, which includes talent pools, funding, platforms, centers, and specialized parks. Over a hundred robotics companies have been drawn to this ecosystem; of them, half are acknowledged as specialized, sophisticated, unique, and creative businesses. Taken as a whole, these businesses produce almost 10 billion yuan, or half of all robotics sector output in Beijing.
