China Aiming to Become Robot Superpower

China plans to mass produce humanoid robots within the next two years to help offset its aging population.

China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) early last month disclosed ambitious plans to mass-produce humanoids that will be as "disruptive" as smartphones, Business Insider reported.

The MIIT added that the robots would "reshape the world."

Beijing's ambition, though, has as much to do with its economy as it does with showcasing its technology prowess.

President Xi Jinping and his fellow communists are determined not to let China’s economy suffer due to failure to keep up with the technological revolutions happening in other countries, as happened in the 19th century, The Economist reported.

"China's impressive economic growth in recent decades was a result of three main factors: a soaring urban workforce, a big increase in the capital stock and rising productivity," The Economist said.

"Today, though, less new infrastructure is needed. And the working-age population, those between 15 and 64, is shrinking. It is projected to drop by over 20% by 2050."

Various Chinese technology firms have announced plans for humanoid robot development and production in the past year, Hong Kong's South China Morning post reported. However, considerable progress is needed to achieve high volume production and commercial application.

Many of China's current robots are mechanical arms that can be programmed to weld, drill, or assemble components on a production line.

But last year, the Chinese produced "service robots" that can accomplish such tasks as moving boxes at warehouses, cleaning hotels, and cooking and serving food.

Lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic further motivated China to focus on robots after factories closed and Western firms reconsidered their supply chains, The Economist reported.

Humanoids also could help on farms, where few young people want to work.

"Some aspects of agriculture, such as milking cows, can be automated fairly easily," The Economist said. "Others are trickier, but appear possible on a small scale. The south-western city of Chengdu has developed an unmanned vegetable farm which could, in theory, produce ten harvests a year."

Last year, half of all the industrial robots installed worldwide were fitted in China, according to the International Federation of Robotics.

Basic tasks for humanoids to start will include picking up and moving items either individually or contained within totes or boxes, The RobotReport reported during the summer.

Advanced functions eventually will include manipulating door knobs, opening and closing doors and drawers, and using tools designed for humans.

The RobotReport added that creating a functional humanoid for the real world remains a difficult task due to power consumption, power-to-weight optimization, mechanical stiffness, edge computing, component reliability and safety.

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