A lineup of 18 humanoid robots formed a vanguard matrix at WAIC Shanghai on Thursday. Photo: Qi Xijia/ GT

The Shanghai-based National and Local Co-Built Humanoid Robotics Innovation Center, Humanoid Robot (Shanghai) Co. released a system designed to empower humanoid robots on Friday, allowing them to transit from laboratory research to market applications, the company told the Global Times.

This new embodied artificial intelligence (AI) simulation platform, also known as "Ge Wu," is designed to be a high-performance simulation environment for robot development, said the company.

It integrates advanced reinforcement learning frameworks and multimodal motion control technologies, aiming to provide a one-stop solution for robot development and testing for research institutions, universities, and enterprises, Jiang Lei, chief scientist of the innovation center, told the Global Times on Friday.

The key innovation of "Ge Wu" is its universal reinforcement learning framework and automated model adaptation technology, Jiang said, adding that with this, a single codebase can support the training process of more than 100 different types of robots, enabling them to be trained without the need for additional programming.

Also on the same day, Zhang Hongtao, deputy director of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization, announced at a press conference that Shanghai is working with leading enterprises and research institutions, including Humanoid Robot (Shanghai) Co., and the Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Research Institute, to conduct international standardization research on humanoid robots. They are also applying to the ISO/TC299 (Robotics Technical Committee) for the establishment of a subcommittee for humanoid robots, local media outlets reported.
 
China's embodied AI industry is currently on the brink of a major breakthrough, Jiang said, adding that policy support, continuous technological progress and cooperation among developers are expected to trigger revolutionary changes in humanoid robots.

Shanghai, a major hub for technological innovation, is taking the lead in China's robot industry. China produces one-third of the world's robots, and Shanghai produces one-third of China's robots, Xinhua News Agency reported, highlighting Shanghai's strong accumulation of various elements for robot industry development, including technology, talent, supply chains, and policies.

Earlier in January, Shanghai rolled out the country's first heterogeneous humanoid robot training ground. The training ground aims to advance cross-disciplinary robotics, including AI and machine learning, and can currently train over 100 robots, with plans to scale up to 1,000 by 2027.

The center will collaborate with local robotics firms to amass a vast dataset of 10 million high-quality physical data entries by 2025. These efforts aim to enhance the practical application of humanoid robots in sectors such as manufacturing and public services, according to Jiang.

In addition to these efforts, recent progress in the field of embodied AI includes the release of a video by Unitree Robotics on Wednesday, showcasing its humanoid robot, Unitree G1, which successfully performed a side flip, marking a new stage in humanoid robot motion control. A day earlier, China's home appliance conglomerate Midea Group also unveiled its humanoid robot prototype, which is capable of performing various actions such as shaking hands, handing over water, making a heart gesture, dancing, opening bottle caps and driving screws, demonstrating its wide application potential, domestic media reported.

Amid the intensifying embodied AI race, China's humanoid robot industry is making significant strides. The launch of these humanoid robots signals that China's related products are rapidly entering an early stage of mass production, said Jiang.

An industrial report showed that China's humanoid robot market size ranges from 2.76 billion yuan ($377.56 million) in 2024 and will likely reach 75 billion yuan by 2029, which will account for 32.7 percent of the world's total and rank first in the world, and the size of the sector is expected to reach 300 billion yuan by 2035, per Xinhua.

By the end of 2024, it is estimated that there were nearly 100 humanoid robot companies in China, with over 30 companies announcing plans to start commercial production in 2025, said the report.

This year's Government Report also vows to support the extensive application of large-scale AI models and vigorously develop new-generation intelligent terminals and smart manufacturing equipment, including intelligent connected new-energy vehicles, AI-enabled phones and computers, and intelligent robots.