Training facility for humanoid robots launched in Shanghai

China has launched the country's first facility dedicated to training heterogeneous humanoid robots in Shanghai, a key innovation hub of the sector.

The training facility, officially known as the Humanoid Robot Kylin Training Ground, is co-hosted by the Shanghai-based National and Local Co-Built Humanoid Robotics Innovation Center and the Zhangjiang Group and is able to accommodate over 100 humanoid robots for simultaneous training in its initial phase.

Xu Bin, general manager of the innovation center, said that the training facility will significantly reduce investment costs associated with the development of embodied intelligence technologies while addressing issues related to redundant infrastructure construction in the industry within China, Shanghai Securities News reported on Wednesday.

Heterogeneous humanoid robots are cross-disciplinary robots. They involve advanced locomotion, manipulation, biomechanics, artificial intelligence, machine vision, perception, learning, and cognitive development. These robots are significant in driving the evolution of next-generation industries.

The new training facility aims to become a national-level platform for the development of embodied intelligence technologies, fostering the growth of China's humanoid robot industry and providing strong momentum for strategic emerging and future industries, said Xu at the training-ground launch ceremony on Tuesday.

The facility covers over 5,000 square meters, with over a dozen specialized training scenarios, such as welding, 3C product manufacturing, and automotive testing.

The trained robots can perform a variety of tasks, including desk organization, item sorting and equipment operation, achieving an average success rate of over 90 percent, said Jiang Lei, chief scientist at the Shanghai-based National and Local Co-Built Humanoid Robotics Innovation Center.

China's robotics industry has entered a period of rapid development in recent years.

According to a report on the humanoid robot industry released in July at the 2024 World AI Conference in Shanghai, China's humanoid robot market scale is approximately 2.76 billion yuan (US$385 million) this year. By 2029, it is expected to expand to 75 billion yuan, which would account for 32.7 percent of the global market.

Jiang said that humanoid robots are regarded as a critical technology for addressing the issues of an aging society, and 2025 is expected to be a landmark year for the mass production of humanoid robots.