China's humanoid robot half marathon winner wants to be 'Android' of robotics
The Sky Project Ultra robot also known as Tien Kung Ultra crosses the finish line to win the Humanoid Robot Half-Marathon held in Beijing, Saturday. AP-Yonhap
With its win in China's first half- marathon for humanoid robots, the state-backed Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Centre has entered the national spotlight as it aims to become something akin to Google's Android operating system for artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled machines.
The center, also known as X-Humanoid, operates the Tien Kung Ultra robot, which secured first place at the half marathon in Beijing's Yizhuang district on Saturday.
The 180cm, 55kg Tien Kung robot completed the 21km track in about two hours and 40 minutes, according to the center.
X-Humanoid was jointly established in November 2023 by Beijing Jingcheng Machinery Electric Company, Beijing Xiaomi Robotics Technology and UBTech Robotics, with each holding a 28.57 percent stake, according to Chinese corporate database Qichacha. Beijing Yizhuang Robotics Technology Industry Development, a subsidiary of the state-owned investment firm Yizhuang Holdings, owns the remaining 14.29 percent.
Xiong Youjun, UBTech's chief technology officer, serves as the centre's general manager, according to a blog post the company published on WeChat in January 2024. X-Humanoid aims to build "core platforms" for humanoid robot hardware and software, Xiong said at the time.
Last month, X-Humanoid launched Hui Si Kai Wu, a general-purpose" universal embodied AI platform." The center said it wants the system to be the "the Android in the field of humanoid robots," referring to Google's open-source mobile operating system that has become the most widely used smartphone software. Hui Si Kai Wu can operate various types of robots, instructing them to perform tasks ranging from industrial sorting to building blocks, according to the center.
Putting the system to the test, UBTech last month launched Tien Kung Xingzhe. The life-size humanoid robot is designed for research purposes and priced at 299,000 yuan ($41,000). This followed the April 2024 launch of the Tien Kung humanoid robot "core platform."
In November, X-Humanoid officially open-sourced its Tien Kung technologies. At the launch event, Xiong described the move as a way to strengthen China's humanoid robotics industry and help the country" secure leading advantages in global competition", according to a UBTech WeChat post.
Competition in China's robotics industry has intensified in recent years, driven by advancements in large AI models. At the half- marathon, a 1.2-metre-tall robot made by Beijing-based Noetix Robotics took second place, while a humanoid made by Shanghai-based DroidUp came in third.
A robot from Hangzhou-based Unitree, one of China's most well-known robotics start-ups, was seen falling to the ground shortly after taking off, before managing to resume the race. The robot's final ranking was not clear.
Unitree did not officially participate in the race, and the robots that appeared in the half- marathon were independently operated by its clients, Unitree told local media outlet China Star Market. A humanoid robot's performance in a race requires preparation and varies based on the operator's skills development processes, the representative said, according to the report on Saturday.
Read the full story at SCMP.