TMTPOST--The five-day 2024 World Robot Conference kicked off on Wednesday in Beijing. With 27 different humanoid robots on display, this year's event marked a significant increase in the number of "active" humanoid robots—three times more than last year.

Major players like UBTech, Astribot, and iFlytek presented their latest innovations, demonstrating their robots' capabilities in various scenarios.

The conference featured impressive displays: robots performing dances, playing music, and even doing laundry.

The highlight was the unveiling of "Tiangong 1.2 MAX" by the Beijing Embodied Intelligence Robotics Innovation Center. Standing 173 cm tall and weighing 60 kg, the robot autonomously placed the conference badge on the launch platform, showcasing advanced manipulation and mobility.

“Our vision is to provide AI robot assistants to billions of people. Whether it's for household care or factory work, the more human-like robots become in learning, decision-making, and execution, the more they can help people achieve more and do it better,” said Lai Jie, the CEO of Astribot. 

“We welcome everyone to provide feedback on the S1 so that its capabilities can improve from 55% to 85% and eventually reach 99.99%, approaching human-level performance. We hope that in the next five to ten years, AI robots will enter every household,”he added.

Despite the excitement, the industry faces substantial challenges. Many humanoid robots still struggle with basic functions like walking and performing complex tasks. The robots displayed were often limited to simple actions, and issues like part malfunctions were noted. The technology remains in its early stages, with significant gaps in large-scale production and general-purpose functionality.

Investment in the humanoid robot sector has been robust. Data from IT Juzi shows that investment cases in China's robotics industry surged from 37 in 2019 to 103 in 2023, with a corresponding increase in funding. The market value of global AI robot sector is expected to surpass $19 billion in 2024, growing nearly 30% from the previous year.

However, the industry also is troubled by issues of redundancy and over-competition. China’s rapid development in this field, with numerous innovation centers and new products, has led to intensified competition.

Experts suggest that while substantial progress has been made, the path to scalable commercial application is still fraught with obstacles. As the industry continues to evolve, ongoing investment and innovation will be crucial for overcoming these hurdles and achieving broader market adoption.