Shanghai takes national lead in humanoid robots
Shanghai has taken a leading role in China by releasing the country's first standards for humanoid robots.
On Monday, the National and Local Co-Built Humanoid Robotics Innovation Center, located in Zhangjiang, along with top industry players, unveiled two key standards: "Humanoid Robots – Application Guidelines of Classification and Grading" and "Embodied AI – Classification Guidelines of Intelligent Stage."
These standards cover important terms related to embodied AI and humanoid robots, such as appearance, movements, and intelligence levels, which are crucial for researchers, developers, and manufacturers.
China has been actively promoting the humanoid robot industry, supported by government policies and the establishment of innovation centers.
According to a report released at the first China Humanoid Robot Industry Conference in April, the market for humanoid robots in China is expected to grow to 2.76 billion yuan (US$387 million) in 2024 and reach 75 billion yuan by 2029, accounting for 32.7% of the global total. By 2035, it is projected to reach 300 billion yuan.
Shanghai has a clear advantage in the field of humanoid robots and embodied intelligence. There are approximately 25 companies in China that can make complete humanoid robots, and nearly half of them are located in Shanghai, according to the Humanoid Robot and Embodied AI Innovation Forum held in Zhangjiang on Monday.
The city is also home to world-class AI industrial clusters such as the Shanghai Foundation Model Innovation Center and Robot Valley.
To further strengthen its position, Shanghai plans to use standardization to quickly develop its technological capabilities, promote industrial transformation, and strengthen its research and layout of international standards.
Xu Bin, general manager of the National and Local Co-Built Humanoid Robotics Innovation Center, said a humanoid robot training field is being developed and expected to be completed by the end of the year.
When it's ready, 100 humanoid robots will start training to help implement the new standards. In the future, several training fields will be established across the country to promote data generation and scenario implementation of humanoid robots, Xu added.