While robot dogs are making their way onto battlefields in some countries, in China, they are transitioning from labs and expos to everyday life.
At east China's Zhejiang University, a robot dog was spotted effortlessly carrying a freshman's 20 kilograms of luggage, swiftly navigating through crowds and climbing stairs.
"When I arrived here, I saw the robot dog navigate obstacles independently. It was my first experience seeing how a robot dog can serve people," said Huang Weichao, a freshman majoring in robotics engineering.
Two such robot dogs were deployed to assist freshmen with their luggage on the first day of registration. The X30 quadruped robot, developed by a team from Zhejiang University and DEEP Robotics, a leading quadrupedal robot developer, was officially launched in October 2023.
The robot dog is approximately 1 meter long, 50 centimeters tall when standing, and weighs about 56 kilograms. It is the result of two generations of robot dog iterations launched in 2019 and 2021, according to Chen Shenhong, head of the research and development team.
"The biggest feature of the X30 is its ability to operate in temperatures ranging from minus 20 to 55 degrees Celsius. It can navigate and function autonomously in extreme environments, whether in dim light, bright light, or complete darkness, with a range of over 10 kilometers. It has been widely used in power inspections, emergency rescue missions, and police patrols," Chen said.
China has become the world's largest market for robot applications. In recent years, the rapid growth of the country's robotics industry has led to the deployment of robots across various sectors, including warehouse logistics, education and entertainment, cleaning services, security inspection, and medical rehabilitation.
Humanoid robots are transitioning from labs and expos to workshops in China. For instance, in an automotive factory, silver humanoid robots stride along assembly lines, performing tasks once carried out exclusively by humans, such as car scanning, seatbelt inspection and affixing labels to vehicles.
This advancement is the result of a collaboration between UBTECH, a Shenzhen-based robotics firm, and Chinese electric carmaker NIO, underscoring the rapid progress in China's humanoid robot industry.
Last month, UBTECH announced its plans to work with FAW-Volkswagen, one of China's earliest joint venture automakers, to develop an unmanned car factory. This cooperation aims to deploy UBTECH's industrial humanoid robot, Walker S, at FAW-Volkswagen's plant in east China's Qingdao, where the robot will undertake tasks such as bolt tightening, component assembly, and handling automotive parts.
Pang Jianxin, vice president of UBTECH, said that humanoid robots are increasingly penetrating critical sectors of the manufacturing industry, including automobiles, computers, communications, and consumer electronics. He noted that China's robust industrial base provides fertile ground for humanoid robot development.
An industrial report co-compiled by UBTECH and other partners predicts that the market size of humanoid robots in China will reach around 2.76 billion yuan in 2024 and is expected to reach 75 billion yuan by 2029, accounting for about a third of the global total. By 2035, the market is projected to expand even further, with a potential size of 300 billion yuan (about 42 billion U.S. dollars).
"Datou A Liang," a robot designed by Jiangsu Aiyuwencheng Elderly Care Robot Co. Ltd., stole the spotlight at the International Exhibition of Senior Care, Rehabilitation Medicine and Healthcare held in Shanghai this June, with visitors calling it exactly the robot they had been seeking.
The company's robots sold out rapidly at the exhibition, where they engaged with over 30 potential partners and secured orders from Japan and Europe.
"It's like hiring a housekeeper with fall detection who can stay within sight of the elderly at all times," said a technician from the company, noting that besides assisting with medication and meals, the robot can also facilitate video calls with their relatives.
Beyond providing life care and health monitoring, future robots are expected to serve as emotional companions for the elderly. They will be equipped with natural language processing capabilities to communicate fluently, listen attentively, and share in their joys and sorrows.
The humanoid robots are expected to usher in a blue ocean market. Data from Goldman Sachs indicate that the global market size of humanoid robots will reach 154 billion U.S. dollars by 2035.
China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued a guideline last year identifying humanoid robot development as a promising future industry. The sector integrates cutting-edge technologies, including artificial intelligence, high-end manufacturing and new materials.
By 2027, China will see a secure and reliable industrial and supply chain system, and related products will be deeply integrated into the real economy, according to the guideline.