China is investing heavily in humanoid robots, with the goal of increasing productivity as economic growth slows and its workforce shrinks. The country is already a leader in the manufacturing and deployment of industrial robots, and its humanoid robot makers accounted for the vast majority of global android deliveries last year.
Market Potential
The potential for the industry is immense, with investment bank Morgan Stanley estimating that there could be one billion humanoids in use by 2050, representing a market of over $5 trillion. However, the technology still has limitations, and the rental market is exposing these limits.
Businesses like Ai Lin’s rental venture are popping up, offering humanoid robots for hire at events and exhibitions. But the market is becoming saturated, and rental prices are beginning to slide as the novelty of the technology wears off.
Technical Challenges
Despite rapid advances in artificial intelligence, robots still lack the physical-world data needed to become truly capable workers. Chinese humanoid makers are paying companies for physical interaction data, but hardware constraints, such as the technical readiness of dexterous robotics hands, are also a major hurdle.
As a result, the vast majority of demand for these robots has been driven by the Chinese government, and only a small number have reached factory floors, mostly in pilot projects. Even among leading manufacturers, productivity still trails human workers.
Original reporting: KRDO (Colorado Springs metro) — read the source article.
