China:2023 World Robot Conference Beijing 17August,human like robot's expressions and gestures
Visitors were treated to a display of vivid humanoid robots at the 2023 World Robot Conference (WRC) in China's capital Beijing on Thursday (August 17), with new technology that upgrades the human-like robots' expressions and gestures.
Chinese scientists have developed a human-like skin for robots, giving them a sense of touch, state news agency Xinhua reported.
The e-skin allows robots to navigate their surroundings in the dark by feeling objects around them.
It mimics the properties of human skin as it can stretch and even heal itself.
The e-skin is also able to detect changes in temperature and pressure.
One of the main challenges in e-skin development so far has been the lack of suitable composite materials to mimic the sensory properties of human skin.
The scientists from Southeast University overcame this challenge by developing the e-skin out of natural silk.
“The e-skin heals itself,” said Duan Shengshun, a member of the research team, noting that a skin graft can be easily done by attaching a new piece to the scratched piece.
The findings have been published in the journal ACS Nano.
Robots are rapidly becoming more and more lifelike and unrecognizable from humans. Eerily human-like robots built by China's University of Science and Technology stole the show over at the World Robot Conference in Beijing last week.
You may have already seen Jia Jia, a super realistic robot capable of micro facial expressions and basic conversation with humans. Jia Jia can also recognize faces, identify your gender and age, and detect your facial expressions.
At the weeklong World Robot Conference 2023 (WRC 2023) in Beijing, which began Wednesday, eager attendees were treated to a remarkable display of cutting-edge robotic prowess. The humanoids arguably took center stage, astonishing enthralled visitors with mesmerizing dance routines, jaw-dropping somersaults and meticulously choreographed hand gestures.
Among more than a dozen humanoid showpieces, many eyes were on Unitree H1, a 1.8-meter, 47-kilogram and laser-radar-equipped humanoid that can move over 1.5 meters per second.
Its maximum knee joint torque reaches 360 newton-meters and the single leg has five degrees of freedom, according to the Hangzhou-based robotics startup whose machines were featured at the opening ceremony of 2022 Winter Olympics and the pre-game performance of 2023 Super Bowl.
A demo clip played at the booth showed that this lanky, futuristic robot was capable of restoring balance within two steps in wake of an abrupt kicking assault, and it could even slightly sidestep in advance after sensing a human evaluator's foot-lifting intention.
Unitree H1 has even moved tech industry leaders, with Andrej Karpathy, a founding member at OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, tweeting, "I want one. Or two. A few."
Karpathy's wish may soon come true, as Unitree developers hope to roll out their robotic tech to industrial and consumer projects within the coming years.
"Humanoids can integrate the functions of multiple single-purpose devices like mechanical arms," said Shao Yuanxin, Xiaomi's project manager, at the booth. "CyberOne is expected to be used in Xiaomi's smart manufacturing."
Tora, an artificial intelligence-driven robot developed by PaXini Tech, showcased its strength and tactile sense. The "sensitive" machine can feel the shape, temperature, rigidity and roughness of an object. Its tailored editions have already been used in cargo-sorting, hotel service and elderly care, according to the Shenzhen-based startup.
Rounding out the big hitters at this year's show were robotics giant Ubtech's Panda Robot, Wukong from Zhejiang University, "Dreame" created by a Chinese robot vacuum cleaner, and Xiaobei from China Electronics Technology Group Corporation.
About 160 Chinese and overseas robotic manufacturers brought nearly 600 exhibits to the WRC 2023; one tenth enjoying their global premier.
On Friday, Chinese startup Agibot launched an AI-enabled humanoid product and its founder vowed to keep the robot's cost within 200,000 yuan (27,457 U.S. dollars).
Following the market frenzy surrounding robotic dogs, a surge of Chinese investors has eagerly shifted their focus to humanoids over the past two years. According to industry projections, the burgeoning humanoid market is poised to skyrocket to about 75 billion yuan by 2025.
Supported by increasingly powerful AI capability, humanoids are turning smarter. However, their affordability is a challenge for quick market applications, according to analysts.
"As a manufactured good, humanoids can only have a solid market when costs are lowered to an acceptable level," said Guo Qianqian, an analyst from Essence Securities.
At less than 90,000 U.S. dollars, Unitree H1's "price tag can be a game changer," said Jim Fan, a research scientist at AI chip giant NVIDIA in a tweet, arguing that Boston Dynamics' robotic dog costs 75,000 U.S. dollars and is arguably much less complex.