Those who can achieve a breakthrough in building that technology – a system that allows robots to execute general tasks, which dispenses with running separate programs for specific activities – could become the strongest robotics and AI companies in the market, Wang said at an industry conference in Shanghai on Saturday, according to local media reports.
His assessment reflects the mounting pressure that now besets the industry, as humanoid robot manufacturers charge full steam ahead to mass production.
Six out of 11 domestic humanoid robot makers, which had set their mass production initiatives in 2024, plan to manufacture more than a thousand units this year, market research firm TrendForce said in a report released last month.
Many Chinese robotics firms, including Hangzhou-based Unitree, are experiencing “strong growth momentum” and are “overwhelmed with orders”, Wang said at the event.
He also pointed out that the industry must meet the challenge of achieving large-scale production at lower cost, while building machines that are durable.
