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The U.S. and China remain locked in a race for dominance in AI, a competition that intensified following the January launch of DeepSeek, a Chinese rival to ChatGPT. Now, the race has elevated a notch higher, with both nations ramping up efforts to develop humanoid robots designed to work alongside — and potentially replace — humans in the workplace. One of China’s main players in perfecting humanoid mechanical workers is UBTECH, a Shenzhen-based robotics company.
UBTECH is considered one of China’s leading innovators of humanoid robots and intelligent robotic services. The company has built its proprietary Robot Operating System Application framework (ROSA), which integrates robotics and AI technologies. It also collaborates with several automotive manufacturers, including Chinese car maker Geely, to deploy robotic solutions in assembly lines.
China’s push for technological dominance
Teams of Chinese engineers recently gathered in an electric vehicle (EV) factory in China, showcasing the country’s quest to gain an edge in the race for technological dominance, with an eye on its rivalry with the U.S.
In a series of demonstrations, UBTECH engineers showcased the capabilities of their humanoid robot, highlighting features such as self-balancing, hand-eye coordination, and visual interaction. The robot completed tasks like sorting out auto parts or moving objects across multiple points, underscoring China’s progress in AI and robotics development.
The long term goal is clear: deploy humanoid robots in real-world work environments, particularly in production lines. It’s a similar vision to what Elon Musk has promoted for Tesla’s robotics division, which aims to achieve workplace integration by 2025.
In the race to deploy intelligent humanoid robots, whomever gains the advantage between China and the U.S. will have the chance to dominate the field, especially in labor-intensive industries like manufacturing and various sectors.
Humanoids: From sci-fi to shop floor
NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang recently stated, “The time has come for robots,” adding that robotics “could very well be the largest industry of all.”
That humanoid robots will be integrated into workplaces would be the new reality cut out of science fiction. For decades heavy industries have been automating their assembly lines with precision robotic arms. This time, the trend is to use robots that can think, process information, and perform tasks independently.
Integrating the advances in robotics, cutting computer chips like NVIDIA, and AI promises a bright future in humanoid robot development and production.
Once the feat of perfecting the integration of precision engineering, sensing technologies, computer chips, and artificial intelligence is achieved, humanoid robots could potentially drive productivity and growth in a wide range of industries from defense and manufacturing to logistics and healthcare and delivery of human services.
China has been vocal in its ambition to lead the race in humanoid robot development and production with its $138 billion investment in embodied AI.
UBTECH is training its humanoid robots with basic movements. Thus far, the cost of its Walker S humanoid robots is prohibitive, but the company projects to deliver more than 10,000 units by 2027.
Jeff Burnstein, president of the Michigan-based Association for Advancing Automation, said, “(The Chinese) have more companies developing humanoids and more government support than anyone else. So, right now, they may have an edge.”