Humanoid Robots in China: Potential Promises and Lingering Technological Challenges, Says HKU’s Robotics Chief

Human-like robots could offer potential for China, but they're still a long way off, according to the leader of robotics at Hong Kong University, Xi Ning. Despite the enthusiasm of Chinese robotics companies to create humanoid robots, Xi Ning claims they still face unresolved technical obstacles.

There was a significant interest in humanoid robots in China when a few were showcased at a trade fair in Beijing in August. However, the head of robotics at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) suggests that it will be a while before these machines are capable of performing domestic tasks.

"A lot of humanoid robots are yet to be fully developed, and there's a considerable journey ahead before they can be utilised practically," stated Xi Ning, the leading professor of robotics and automation at HKU, in a discussion with the Post on October 10.

Yet, the lingering technical issues inherited from conventional industrial robotic systems, such as those linked to programming and task planning, remain as obstacles in the way of humanoids accomplishing these roles, states Xi.

Xi mentioned that conventional industrial robots are simpler than humanoids because they are designed to carry out regular tasks in particular scenarios.

This differs from humanoid robots, where users might anticipate them to perform unspecified duties in unpredictable scenarios.

"This is quite complex," stated Xi. "Initially, all the tasks that a robot can execute are pre-set. However, in an unpredictable setting, this becomes challenging because humans cannot predict all the tasks and every circumstance a humanoid might encounter."