Humanoid robots, cyber dogs and robotic arms have made a strong impression at the eighth China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, as a robotics boom has turned machines from the sector into showstoppers.
Hangzhou-based Unitree Robotics made its third appearance at the CIIE, where it displayed new models, including the lightweight, consumer-facing R1, a taller and more facially human-like H2, and an upgraded industrial-grade legged robot, the A2. At Unitree’s booth, crowds eagerly raised their phones to film robots boxing and dancing.
“We’re seeing more and more technology-category products at the CIIE, like those related to the robotics industry,” said Huang Jiawei, marketing director at Unitree, adding that the international audience at CIIE presented valuable sales opportunities.
The company also unveiled a remote-control platform on its WeChat video channel on Thursday, allowing people to control a robot’s actions through a wearable device, or enable a robot to learn from video content – a system with potential application in data collection. The platform had yet to be opened to consumers, according to the company.
At the Hongqiao International Economic Forum on Wednesday, a side event of the CIIE, Unitree founder and CEO Wang Xingxing said the current development of embodied-intelligence models was moving “a bit slowly”. But he added that the “progress in full-body motor control via deep reinforcement learning is very obvious this year”.
He described the current stage of embodied robotics as “similar to the one to three years before the launch of ChatGPT” – when insiders had a clear direction but were still awaiting a breakthrough.
