Humanoid robots — the next big thing?

Humanoids are tipped to be the next big thing in robotics. While China, the world’s largest market for industrial robots, has set out specific targets to mass-produce humanoids, tech companies in the USA and Europe are preparing to release significant funding to compete. The vision is to create general-purpose robots based on human motion mechanics. The International Federation of Robotics (IFR) has released a new positioning paper that provides valuable insights called What are the trends, opportunities, and potential limitations of humanoids?

President of the IFR Takayuki Ito said: “Futuristic humanoids working in homes, businesses, and public spaces fuel people’s interest. Since our environment is optimised for the human body, the idea of a quick, universal helper to maintain manufacturing and services is evident. If and when a mass adoption of humanoids will take place remains uncertain. In any case, humanoids are not expected to replace the types of robots currently on the market in the future. Instead, they will complement and expand upon existing technology.”

In the USA, tech companies like Nvidia, Amazon and Tesla are heavily developing advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics technologies. Besides military funding, a lot of private investments support this development and result in a large number of start ups developing humanoid robots. There is a strong interest in using humanoids in logistics and manufacturing. These machines are seen as tools for enhancing productivity and efficiency rather than as social companions. The focus is more on practical applications and less on integrating robots into daily social life.

Establishing a supply chain for key components
China is putting humanoids at the centre of its national strategy. The Chinese government wants to showcase its competences and global competitiveness in this field of technology. There is a strong emphasis on using humanoids in the service sectors, such as customer service. The use in manufacturing to automate production lines and reduce reliance on human labour seems only a second step. One key element of the Chinese strategy is to establish a supply chain for key components that is scalable.

Meanwhile, Japan has been a pioneer in the development of humanoid robots, with Honda’s Asimo being an early example unveiled in October 2000. Robots in Japan are regarded as companions rather than mere tools. Humanoid robots such as ‘Pepper’ and ‘Palro’ are designed primarily as social robots and are used in educational settings, commercial stores and elderly care facilities which reflects the needs of Japan’s ageing society. The focus is on creating robots that can live harmoniously with humans and are accepted as part of society. Leading companies such as Kawasaki are developing humanoid robots as research platforms.

Europe places a strong emphasis on the ethical implications of robotics and AI. Europe has a significant focus on collaborative robots (cobots) that work alongside humans in industrial settings. The focus is on enhancing safety, efficiency, and human capabilities, rather than on replacing human workers. The focus is on human-centric design and the social and societal impact of robots. European businesses are more cautious about the use of humanoids to meet the automation needs of the manufacturing and service sectors in the near to medium term.