'Army' of humanoid robots surprises at World Robot Exhibition 2024

'Binh đoàn' robot hình người gây choáng tại Triển lãm robot thế giới 2024 - Ảnh 1. — A humanoid robot that looks just like a real person is on display at the exhibition. The exhibition attracted 169 businesses from all over the world, including the world's leading large companies such as Tesla and Siasun - Photo: CFP

Twenty-seven different humanoid robots have taken center stage at the 2024 World Robot Expo in Beijing, China. They can demonstrate all sorts of human-like interactions and skills, such as giving hearts and winks to the audience, as well as cooking meals and performing calligraphy.

At this exhibition (which runs from August 21 to 25), more than 20 Chinese companies displayed humanoid robots designed to work in factories and warehouses, and many even displayed the precision parts made in China needed to build the robots.

Just as its push into electric vehicles began more than a decade ago, China is pushing into robotics with a combination of government support, competitive pricing and deep supply chains.

China's humanoid robot industry presents clear advantages in terms of supply chain integration and mass production capabilities, according to Arjen Rao, an analyst at China-based research institute LeadLeo.

Beijing launched a $1.4 billion state-backed fund for robotics in January 2024, while Shanghai announced plans to set up a $1.4 billion humanoid robot development fund in July.

According to data from Qichacha, a business data platform in China, the country currently has nearly 720,000 robot-related enterprises, of which more than 20 are currently producing complete humanoid robot products.

The humanoid robot model attracts attention because of its meticulousness and perfection like a real person - Photo: TAN HOA XA

The world's largest industrial robot market

Many experts predict that 2024 will be an important year for "armies" of humanoid robots to step out of the laboratory and into factories.

China has remained the world's largest industrial robot market for 11 consecutive years, Xin Guobin, China's Vice Minister of Industry and Information Technology, said on August 21.

China's industrial robot output in 2023 reached 430,000 sets, while the country's new robot additions accounted for more than half of the global market in the past three years.

As of July 2024, China had more than 190,000 effective patents related to robots, accounting for about two-thirds of the global total. Over the past 10 years, the number of robots per 10,000 workers in China's manufacturing sector has increased from 49 to 470.