Vocational training for robots

Chinese technology consultant Kenneth Ren is training the workforce of the future. What's special is that this isn't human labor.

"Essentially, we are teaching robots to think for themselves," said Ren, an international solutions expert at RealMan Robotics Technology Company at the Humanoid Robotics Data Training Center in Beijing.

Mr. Ren currently manages "a humanoid robot school" as China seeks to develop robots beyond entertainment purposes to participate in real-world labor.

Humanoid robots are part of China's industrial strategy, similar to how Beijing has previously developed electric vehicles and artificial intelligence as key technologies of the future.

Policymakers have identified humanoid robots as an area China needs to focus on by 2030 to ensure its dominance of global markets and supply chains.

"China's next-generation industrial policy shows a shift from industry-specific intervention to a sector-wide industrial policy," the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and research firm Rhodium Group said in a research report published on May 11.

At the robotics training center in Beijing, Fudi Luo is one of about one hundred instructors.

Formerly an art teacher, Luo now instructs "robotic students" on how to sort objects on a factory assembly line.

Using cameras, controllers, and motion-sensing technology, Ms. Luo and her colleagues guide AI-powered "trainees" to perform tasks by repeatedly demonstrating the same movements.

"Initially, the robot had absolutely no consciousness, so I had to control it manually. But as my movements generated data, the robot learned and was then able to perform tasks on its own," Ms. Luo said.

The robots are taught a variety of skills such as cleaning the house, massaging, arranging goods on shelves, and repairing metal. Ms. Luo said that a typical workday lasts eight hours with repetitive movements.

Meanwhile, Beijing-based robotics startup Inspire is also training robotic arms using motion tracking and sensor technology.

Winston Zou, the company's board secretary, said that on average, a robotic hand needs to practice about 10,000 times to learn a new skill.

"The company's current robotic hand can pick up an egg or even work with smaller objects like lifting a rope," said Ms. Zou.

Referring to the development of humanoid robots, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that the American company's Optimus humanoid robot is superior to Chinese robots thanks to its hand design.

He asserted that this is arguably the "most difficult" aspect to master in a robot, while acknowledging that China is strongly promoting this field.

"The biggest competitor in the humanoid robotics field will undoubtedly be China. Beijing is extremely good at scaling up production," Elon Musk emphasized.

In China, robot training takes place not only in "schools" but also in the workplace. AI-integrated robots are being tested in roles such as restaurant chefs, bartenders, waiters, traffic police officers, and grocery store owners.

Currently, many robots still require human assistance, although many believe it's only a matter of time before robots can perform specific tasks like humans.

"Our goal is for robots to be able to take on dangerous or repetitive tasks to assist humans," Ren said at the center.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/nhip-song-so/dao-tao-nghe-cho-robot-230498.html