Chinese Companies Demonstrate Advances in Humanoid Robotics

A Beijing-based robotics company gave NBC News a tour of its facility on Thursday and demonstrated a bionic face prototype featuring hair and artificial skin. The company is working to make robots appear more human-like. “If the robots look more like humans, they can do a lot of stuff that humans can do,” said Nikita Gao, who handles the overseas market for the company.

Chinese robotics development has accelerated as competition with the United States increases in areas that include artificial intelligence. The Chinese government has identified the sector as a priority in its latest five-year plan.

Last year only six robots finished a marathon in Beijing. This year more than 100 robots participated and the winner completed the 13-mile half-marathon course in just over 50 minutes. That time was seven minutes faster than the current human world record for a half-marathon.

A Lunar New Year gala broadcast on state television this year also featured robots performing somersaults and coordinated martial arts movements.

Tuesday, Unitree Robotics unveiled a nearly 9-foot-tall humanoid robot equipped with a cockpit that can carry a human. The machine, priced at $650,000, can walk on two legs or transform into a quadruped. It weighs more than 1,100 pounds with a person inside. Unitree Robotics says the GD01 is the first of its kind.

Significant work remains on robot software and autonomy. “Where all of the robotics industry needs to improve is in the brains of these robots, in the software that allows these robots to actually do the things we want, whether they be in a house or an industrial setting,” said Joanna Stern, NBC News’ chief technology analyst.