UBTech's humanoid robot is working on a car assembly line - Photo: Reuters
Humanoid robots have become a symbol of the shift of artificial intelligence (AI) from the software world to the physical economy .
However, this promising technological model has not yet achieved the expected productivity, raising significant challenges in addressing labor shortages and increasing production efficiency.
Productivity did not meet expectations.
The Financial Times reported on January 25th, citing a report from UBTech, a leading Chinese manufacturer of humanoid robots and an Apple assembly partner, that the latest Walker S2 robot models only achieve 30-50% of human productivity in some tasks such as stacking boxes or quality control.
UBTech's brand director, Michael Tam, argued: "You can imagine if Tesla had the advantage of deploying humanoid robots into its production line, it would mean BYD could be left behind."
Therefore, despite productivity not yet reaching optimal levels, manufacturers are still racing to order robots to avoid falling behind their competitors.
Chinese policymakers have been strongly advocating for humanoid robots and encouraging the deployment of AI technology in manufacturing plants.
Humanoid robots are models designed to mimic the shape and movements of humans, making them easy to replace human labor in production processes.
These robots are equipped with AI systems and algorithms to adapt and perform various tasks, combined with advanced sensors for spatial awareness.
Explaining the productivity issue, experts in humanoid robotics say that this type of robot presents far more complex challenges than stationary or conveyor-type robots, including the need for independent power sources, a large number of complex moving joints, and the ability to handle tasks requiring a higher level of decision-making.
Besides UBTech, Chinese robot manufacturers such as Dobot Robotics, Unitree Robotics, and X-Humanoid are also entering this race. Data from the statistical organization Counterpoint Research indicates that approximately 16,000 humanoid robots will have been deployed globally by 2025, with China accounting for over 80%.
Unitree Robotics plans to ship more than 5,500 full-body humanoid robots by 2025 – far surpassing its American rivals Tesla, Figure AI, and Agility Robotics, each of which ships around 150 robots per year, according to the South China Morning Post.
On an international scale, Tesla's Optimus robot project also opens up global prospects. In a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, last week, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the company could sell the Optimus humanoid robot next year.
However, despite Musk's ambitions, the project itself still faces technical limitations in terms of mechanics and computing power, similar to those of Chinese robots.
The prospects are still quite distant?
Technology analyst Marco Wang believes that, to date, most humanoid robot deployment projects in China have remained limited to pilot and experimental phases with state funding.
Many models are still undergoing feasibility assessments and are a long way from being commercialized. In other words, at present, the humanoid robot revolution remains more of a vision than a substantive transformation.
Nevertheless, Beijing is still promoting the robotics industry as a national strategic priority.
The goal of the world's second-largest economy is to successfully produce humanoid robots that achieve 80% of human performance by 2027, according to the technology news site Techspot.
Meanwhile, global information services firm Gartner predicts that humanoid robot technology may stagnate in the pilot phase, with fewer than 20 companies expected to deploy this model on a supply chain scale by 2028.
Gartner assesses that the current wave of pushing humanoid robots into supply chains will only be a fleeting trend, according to Supply Chain Digital.
Abdil Tunca, a senior analyst at Gartner, commented: "The potential of humanoid robots is very appealing, but in reality, the technology is still in its infancy and has not yet met expectations in terms of flexibility and cost-effectiveness."
Supply chain managers need to carefully assess the prospects to avoid allocating too many resources to solutions that are not yet at their full potential.
From a more optimistic perspective, some argue that while humanoid robots currently lag behind humans in dexterity and endurance, if productivity continues to improve gradually, they could transform the landscape and prospects of this industry in the future.
Reshaping investment strategy
The lower-than-expected productivity of humanoid robots has contributed to a shift in investment strategies for businesses.
Many companies no longer view this model as a tool for improving efficiency in the short term, but rather see it as a long-term investment for the future.
The Wall Street Journal suggests that focusing on technologies that assist humans in specific tasks will create more effective productivity than researching a technology model that completely replaces humans.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/robot-hinh-nguoi-va-thach-thuc-nang-suat-20260128081335674.htm
