Humanoid robots to shape future of Chinese economy? Ministry hints so
As per the Chinese government officials, their industry's future likely rests on the shoulders of humanoid robots if the new goals of increasing mass production by 2025 and achieving an advanced level of technology by 2027 are to be met.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), which oversees the industrial sector of China, uploaded a nine-page guideline on its website, which stated that humanoid robots should “realise mass production by 2025” in China.
MIIT stated that the country would aim to “establish a humanoid robot innovation system, make breakthroughs in several key technologies and ensure the safe and effective supply of core components” by 2025.
The ministry appealed that the humanoid robots should “become an important new engine of economic growth” in China by 2027.
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The document stated that by that time, “the technological innovation of humanoid robots will be significantly improved, a safe and reliable industrial supply chain system will be formed, an industrial ecology with international competitiveness will be constructed and our comprehensive strength will reach the world’s advanced level”.
This is the latest step taken by China for promoting tech self-reliance and accelerating the development of its local robotics industry as it faces fierce competition from the US in major technology areas like chips.
'Humanoid robots likely to become disruptive innovation'
As per the World Robotics 2022 Report published by the International Federation of Robotics, significant progress has been made by China in industrial robotics as it overtook the United States in 2021 for the first time and became the world's fifth most automated country in the world.
As per the guidelines shared on Thursday (Nov 2), industries like home services, agriculture, healthcare and logistics are likely to see a boom in the use of robots.
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At the start of the document, MIIT stated that humanoid robots are likely to become another “disruptive innovation” after smartphones and computers and can emerge as a technology which is likely to change production and the pattern in which humans live “and reshape the pattern of global industrial development”.
The policy document also asked the industry to emphasise the “cerebellum”, “brain” and “limbs” of humanoid robots with the help of breakthroughs in artificial intelligence like the large-language models.
It appealed to the robot industry to increase the development of humanoid robots for them to be used in dangerous and harsh conditions.
(With inputs from agencies)
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