The 2023 World Congress of Artificial Intelligence came to an end： the integration of generative artificial intelligence and humanoid robot can open the era of ＂embodied intelligence＂
Our reporter Xu Jie
The 2023 World Congress on Artificial Intelligence came to an end on July 8. In addition to the hot topic of big models, humanoid robots have also attracted much attention. Dozens of enterprise booths involving robot products, such as Tesla and Daxie Technology, were crowded, and the seminar on humanoid robots was full. Some investors even stood at the entrance of the venue for 4 hours and listened to the whole process.
Everyone is eager to know, besides Hyundai Boston Dynamics, Asimo of Honda and Optimus Prime of Tesla, where are the robots that China can compete with? How will the humanoid robot industry develop in the future?
Tesla robot will be on sale next year?
In September 2022, on Tesla’s 2022 AI DAY, the Tesla humanoid robot "Optimus" was officially unveiled. At that time, Tesla predicted that Optimus Prime would be delivered within three to five years, with a production of several million units and a price of less than $20,000.
At the 2023 World Artificial Intelligence Conference, Tesla was invited to participate in the exhibition for the first time, and the humanoid robot "Optimus Prime" was displayed. At the scene of Tesla booth, the reporter of Securities Daily observed the online celebrity humanoid robot at close range: this humanoid robot is 172cm tall and weighs 56.6kg, which is the body shape of a normal adult.
According to the on-site staff, "The robot has 28 degrees of freedom, just like the joints of the human body. The hand has 11 degrees of freedom, so it can be grasped more flexibly and with great force, and it can lift a piano with one hand. At present, this humanoid robot can complete actions such as walking, going up and down stairs, squatting down, taking things, etc. It also has the ability to protect the safety of itself and people around it. In the future, it can also cook, mow the lawn, help look after the elderly, or replace humans in the factory. Do boring and dangerous work. "
However, it is a pity that this online celebrity robot was only statically displayed in the glass room, and some netizens joked that "the scene was crowded with anxious fund managers, hoping that he could move".
"From what I know on the spot, I may not see humanoid robots entering thousands of households in my lifetime." A person from an artificial intelligence company lamented the reporter. However, Tesla staff said that this humanoid robot will start to be sold next year, and the price is less than 20,000 US dollars.
The front track has been windy.
Humanoid robot is an interdisciplinary product of machinery, materials, electronics, control, intelligence, bionics and so on, which is highly industry-driven, but technically difficult. At present, there are still many difficulties and pains in the development of humanoid robots. Just walking like a human is an industry problem. At least at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in 2023, the reporter did not see humanoid robots that could walk on two legs. However, in the secondary market, the intelligent robot concept plate has become a strong plate. Some people think that 2023 is the first year of the outbreak of the AI big model, and it will also be the singularity when humanoid robots meet the "iPhone moment".
At the summit forum of humanoid robot development held on July 6, an expert asked on the spot: "Do you dare to buy a humanoid robot with a price of 20,000 US dollars?" Behind this problem is actually the industry’s consideration of cost. After all, the high manufacturing cost is an important factor that makes it difficult for humanoid robots to go out of the laboratory to complete commercialization.
The robot industry chain mainly includes upstream core software and hardware (hardware includes servo motors, reducers, controllers, sensors, etc.; Software includes machine vision, human-computer interaction, machine learning, system control, etc. Midstream ontology manufacturers and downstream applications (including welcome reception, scientific research in universities, etc.). Among them, the importance of core components is very prominent. On the one hand, high-performance components are the basis for realizing robot perception and movement; On the other hand, the cost of core components is relatively high. Taking the traditional industrial robot as an example, the core components account for more than 70% of the total cost of the industrial robot. Compared with industrial robots, humanoid robots are more complicated in structure, which also leads to their high price.
Liuyong, chairman of the Chinese Academy of Intelligent Innovation, said: "Humanoid robots have not been marketed for so long, mainly because of the poor robustness of software (the ability to maintain basic performance stability under abnormal conditions) and the high cost brought by hardware over-allocation."
However, liuyong said that artificial intelligence can empower humanoid robots, and then through big data training and model driving, the demand and requirements of key components of humanoid robots can be reduced.
Some analysts also told reporters that as the cost of Tesla robots is further reduced, domestic parts companies will continue to benefit.
There is no doubt that the frontier track of humanoid robots has already taken off. Qiao Hong, an academician of China Academy of Sciences, said, "Why do humanoid robots need to be made? As we all know, there are three reasons: first, if we don’t do it, it will impact the cost advantage accumulated in the field of industrial robots in China; Secondly, in the field of national defense, humanoid robots belong to new equipment and are very important; Third, humanoid robots involve many fields in the upstream and downstream of the industrial chain, which will affect the improvement of China’s software and hardware capabilities on this track. "
To this end, the policy level is also a warm wind. For example, on June 28th, Beijing released the Action Plan for Innovation and Development of Beijing Robot Industry (2023-2025), in order to accelerate the innovation and development of Beijing robot industry and build a highland of global robot industry. In terms of product system, it is emphasized to "step up the layout of humanoid robots".
"Humanoid robots are like the jewel in the crown, and everyone is obsessed with it. I hope it can form a complete industrial chain like a car in the future." Sun Liyu, dean of the School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering of Soochow University, said.
Huang Xiaoqing, founder and CEO of Dalu Technology, believes that China is the most competitive market for developing humanoid robots, with the advantages of leading the world in 5G communication, the first echelon of artificial intelligence industry in the world, perfect industrial chain of intelligent manufacturing industry and the most open and rich application scenarios.
Combination with large model is the key to development.
From the hardware point of view, the main two driving modes of humanoid robot are motor driving and hydraulic driving. Wang Chunlei, director of the Robotics Center of Zhongdianke Robotics Co., Ltd., said: "A characteristic of the hydraulically controlled humanoid robot is its high power density, which can not only support itself, but also bear many other extra loads. At present, the motor route is basically used in China, because the ecological establishment of the motor route will be better than that of the hydraulic one, and it will be more perfect if it can be combined with artificial intelligence. "
At the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in 2023, most of the interviewees believed that the combination of generative artificial intelligence such as ChatGPT and humanoid robot industry can truly open the era of "embodied intelligence".
According to Xiong Youjun, the chief technology officer of Ubisoft, after the humanoid robot is connected to the big model, on the one hand, the humanoid robot can be smarter, objectively improve the application scene and application scope of the humanoid robot, and accelerate the industrialization of the robot; On the other hand, the combination of humanoid robot and ChatGPT can greatly expand the application space of ChatGPT. "The robot in my dream must be a bionic robot. Connecting the big model and doing a lot of training will enable the robot to generate control strategies and even codes according to the actual situation. This is a direction in the future." Xiong Youjun said.
"Simply waving a few words is not a humanoid robot, which was solved in the last century. The current humanoid robot 2.0 is to use human tools to realize human capabilities. " Sheng Xinjun, deputy dean of Yuanzhi Robotics Research Institute of Shanghai Jiaotong University, said that humanoid robots should take enterprises as the main body of innovation to promote development, connect the bridge between virtual (large model) and real (hardware), and truly realize the industrial landing of humanoid robots.
In fact, in addition to the reducer, controller and servo motor, humanoid robots also need all-round support from sensors such as cameras and laser radars, as well as chips and cloud computing platforms, which also determines that the future competition of enterprises will be the competition of supply chain capabilities. Moreover, the humanoid robot market is not a standardized market at present, and it needs to be customized according to customer needs. If it cannot be mass-produced, it means that the gross profit margin cannot be improved.
Picture | Station Cool Hailuo
Production | Zhou Wenrui