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Source: Huanqiu.com

[Global Network Technology Reporter Feng Chaonan] In 1978, at a lecture in Beijing, Professor Ichiro Kato of Waseda University in Japan played a video of the world's first full-size humanoid robot WABOT-15. The shocking scene amazed everyone present. In the academic hall where this scholar known as the "Father of Humanoid Robots in the World" is, Li Boyang, a "post-80s" from Dalian, Liaoning, has been deeply involved in the field of artificial intelligence and obtained a doctorate in engineering. Today, he has become the co-founder and president of EX Robotics.

The core members of his team have had a strong interest in robots since childhood. Whether it is the heroic images in film and television works or the fantasy characters in comics, they are obsessed with them. Just like Li Boyang himself, his WeChat avatar is Astro Boy, which is a symbol of his endless love for the robotics industry.

Today, the bionic humanoid robots produced by EX Robotics not only look like humans, but also have vivid facial expressions and flexible arms, and can even talk to humans freely. The degree of realism is as if the scenes in science fiction movies have quietly entered reality. Li Boyang has unique insights and profound thoughts on the development of humanoid robots.

Historical masters "show" their splendor, and humanoid robots are here!

Recently, a reporter from the Global Times visited the EX Future Science and Technology Museum in Jinshitan, Dalian, and saw historical giants such as Hawking, Newton, and Einstein displayed in the form of bionic humanoid robots, as if leading every visitor on a journey across time and space to have a "face-to-face" dialogue with the great sages.

EX Future Science and Technology Museum

The arrival of summer vacation has added some liveliness and vitality to the museum. Adults brought their children here, and research teams also came one after another. The realism of the bionic humanoid robots attracted many people to stop and watch. They were full of curiosity and expectation, and immersed in the life experience of human-machine interaction.

A reporter from Global Network stopped in front of a screen, and the camera keenly captured the changes in his expression and synchronized it to the face of a humanoid bionic robot next to him in real time. In another corner of the exhibition hall, when the reporter asked a humanoid robot named "Xiao Qi" "What are the fun places in Dalian?", "Xiao Qi" answered in an orderly manner. Not only was the answer detailed, but the facial expression also showed rich and varied expressions during the communication.

Moreover, the bionic skin with real human texture is undoubtedly the key to the realistic effect of bionic humanoid robots. Take the robot's arm for example, it has the same flexible operation ability as human hands and can grab objects freely, showing the powerful power given by technology. The bionic skin wrapped on this mechanical arm has clearly visible blood vessels and the texture of the hand is delicate and realistic, as if it is an extension of real skin. The fusion between the two is shocking in the harmonious coexistence of technology and the beauty of nature.

What is the overall picture of the entire industry behind these lifelike bionic humanoid robots? Looking at the world, what is the technical level of domestic humanoid robot companies? What cutting-edge technologies support their core competitiveness? In real life, in what specific scenarios can these robots shine?

Standing at the forefront of technology, domestic and foreign companies compete for the blue ocean

"Humanoid robots integrate advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, high-end manufacturing, and new materials. They are expected to become disruptive products after computers, smart phones, and new energy vehicles. They will profoundly change human production and lifestyles and reshape the global industrial development landscape." As stated at the beginning of the "Guiding Opinions on the Innovation and Development of Humanoid Robots" (hereinafter referred to as the "Guiding Opinions") issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology in November last year, humanoid robots are standing at the center of the science and technology stage, heralding an unprecedented change.

In Li Boyang's opinion, humanoid robots, as a branch of the robotics field, have become a new direction that the industry is paying attention to since the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has put forward it separately. It is particularly worth noting that humanoid robots mainly play an important role in the service field, so they are also classified as service robots.

Digging deeper, he said that bionic humanoid robots have pushed human-machine interaction to a new level, especially in the expression of delicate emotions, opening up a new world of technology. "Whether it is the agile movements of the limbs, complex behaviors, decision-making ability, or even the keen perception of the external environment, bionic humanoid robots show more diverse characteristics than other robots. In particular, their bionic skin is a unique feature that other robots can hardly achieve."

EX Future Science and Technology Museum

Looking around the world, in foreign markets, there are robots called "Ameca" created by Engineered Arts in the UK, "Optimus" humanoid robots launched by Tesla, and Figure 01 independently developed by an artificial intelligence robot company called Figure AI, etc., each with its unique technical advantages and R&D strength, jointly promotes the continuous optimization and improvement of global robot technology. In contrast, Li Boyang believes that domestic humanoid robots already have leading technical strengths, and although foreign companies are also actively exploring the application market, the scenarios are often relatively single, with a high degree of customization, lacking a broad and diverse market like the domestic market.

In addition, according to the "Humanoid Robot Industry Research Report" released by the First China Humanoid Robot Industry Conference, it is predicted that the Chinese humanoid robot market size will reach 2.76 billion yuan in 2024; 10.471 billion yuan in 2026; 75 billion yuan in 2029, accounting for 32.7% of the world's total; by 2035, the market size is expected to reach 300 billion yuan.

Emotional interaction is more concrete, but how good are the technical capabilities?

In-depth analysis shows that the core of the bionic humanoid robot is essentially general-purpose AI hardware. Regarding EX Robot, Li Boyang told the reporter of Global Network that two innovative directions have been developed based on the basic large model architecture: one is emotional interaction, which relies on the large language model to give humanoid robots emotions and expressions, so that they can not only communicate fluently with people, but also add emotional value in their narration.

The second is the use of multimodal technology. Thanks to the physical characteristics of humanoid robots, their perception capabilities have been greatly expanded. They can not only see, hear, and touch, but can even be combined with external smart devices. Through this technology, various sensory information is integrated together, allowing humanoid robots to give accurate feedback, whether it is at the emotional level or the action level.

EX Future Science and Technology Museum

Furthermore, in the application of specific scenarios, EX Robot trains the scenario data into the model to create a dedicated big model. At the same time, it also launches a role big model, which gives the robot a unique personality. According to its role positioning, it uses a dedicated big model to have a more natural dialogue with the user, making the interactive experience more realistic.

Of course, in the core technology of humanoid robots, the importance of algorithms is self-evident. It is like the "brain" of the robot, giving it the ability to think and make decisions. At the same time, the research and development of key components such as flexible joints is also of great importance. This type of joint is essentially the motor assembly of the robot, covering core elements such as motors, reducers, and control chips. "In order to meet the requirements of humanoid robots for parameters and performance, the joints we developed with our partners make the robot's movements smoother and more natural. The biggest challenge is the control problem, that is, how to accurately control its flexibility and speed to ensure that all parts work together. This is the focus of our research." Li Boyang said.

Exploring the path to commercial applications, the industry is ready to take off

Although the industry is in full swing in the discussion of humanoid robot technology, if it fails to achieve commercial application, all this is like a castle in the air. Furthermore, commercial application is not only an important step in the implementation of technology, but also the key to verify whether these technologies have practical value.

The Guiding Opinions mentioned that by 2025, the humanoid robot innovation system will be initially established, and a number of key technologies such as "brain, cerebellum, and limbs" will achieve breakthroughs to ensure the safe and effective supply of core components. The whole machine product will reach the international advanced level and achieve mass production, and be demonstrated in special, manufacturing, and people's livelihood services. Effective governance mechanisms and means will be explored and formed.

In this regard, Li Boyang said that with the emergence of many bionic human technologies, digital humans have become widely known, and they also focus on interactive experience and can have intelligent conversations with people. However, although digital humans have shown excellent performance in interaction, they still have a significant gap in authenticity compared with physical bionic humanoid robots.

At present, EX Robot's customer base is concentrated in the B-end market, involving various large venues, cultural and tourism projects, and public service fields. It also provides services to large enterprises such as communications companies and listed companies. Among them, the cultural and tourism industry has become an important window for EX Robot to display cutting-edge technology due to its high exposure. The humanoid robot, with its delicate expressions and flexible movements, gives a new experience of more natural and smooth human-computer interaction.

"At the same time, we incorporate the personalities of specific characters into the robots. In the small theater, these robots can not only vividly reproduce literary and artistic scenes and perform wonderful performances, but also answer questions about their roles or the times they live in, bringing a richer and deeper interactive experience to the audience." he said.

Regarding production capacity planning, EX Robotics plans to build 500 bionic humanoid robots this year. Although the products used to be highly customized, some products are now ready for mass production. Looking to the future, Li Boyang pointed out that expanding more application scenarios, daring to try and encouraging the use of humanoid robots in various fields are the key to the industry's exploration of their applicability. At the same time, he also believes that policies and capital should give greater support and investment to the field of humanoid robots, and have enough patience. After all, as a hardware product, the business model of humanoid robots is different from that of the Internet, and it requires longer research and development and market cultivation.