BEIJING: UBTech Robotics said it has secured a US$37 million (S$48 million) contract to supply its latest humanoid robots for a trial project with a humanoid robotics testing centre based near China’s border with Vietnam.
The Shenzhen-based firm said the deal was made with a testing centre focused on trying out how the humanoid robots could be used in border management, which could help in guiding travellers and managing crowds, as well as handling logistics or patrolling factories, as reported by AFP.
The trial will rely mainly on the newest version of UBTech’s Walker robots, which can change their own batteries. Deliveries are expected to begin in December. The company did not say whether the robots would run on artificial intelligence or be operated remotely.
China has been encouraging local companies to develop humanoids as it aims to lead the global robotics market. A report by consulting firm Leaderobot in April estimated that China’s humanoid robotics sector could reach RMB82 billion by 2025, making up about half of global sales.
Several Chinese firms have been trying to show what humanoids can do. Earlier this month, a robot from Shanghai-based AgiBot set a Guinness World Record after walking 100 kilometres over three days. Beijing also hosted what it called the world’s first-ever humanoid robot games in August, featuring more than 500 machines competing in basketball as well as competitive cleaning.
Still, large-scale real-life use has been elusive.
Goldman Sachs recently warned that the industry could face overcapacity as production grows faster than actual demand. UBTech said its Walker series recorded RMB1.1 billion in sales so far this year.
Addressing concerns of overcapacity, UBTech executive Tan Min told local media that orders they received were higher than what the company had publicly shared. /TISG
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