Humanoid robots are showcasing intriguing wizardry at the ongoing World Robot Conference 2024 (WRC) in Beijing as they have made stunning outperformance in multiple applicable scenarios from cooking to instrument performance.
At an exhibition area of the 2024 WRC, a unique football match captures people's attention. Attendees gather here to applaud and cheer for the robot-players.
"It's different with the football matches we normally see, matches played by humans are more intense. I hope the robot players can run faster and become smarter in the future," said a boy at the exhibition area. Robots can applicate what they learn from virtual environment into the real world. The football matches could test and optimize algorithms empowering robots so that they would get more autonomous and coordinated while performing tasks, according to the exhibitor.
At other exhibition areas, humanoid robots continue to amaze people as they are seen making burgers with advanced bionic robot arms, practicing Chinese calligraphy, exercising martial arts and playing Yangqin, a traditional Chinese instrument.
"Those robots are capable of doing a lot of work, from cooking to chores, and their edge lies at being able to quickly learn and command human capabilities. For example, learning how to play the instrument Yangqin from a teacher, a robot can reach level 10 just in a couple of hours," said Lai Jie, founder of the Chinese tech company Astribot.
There are also bionic humanoid robots that look, act and talk more like human at the venue. Their human-like appearances and stunning capacities of fast learning and interaction attracts attendees.
"The robot can comprehend what is happening through its own observation, and then generate contents and behaviors based on our requests. In the future, it will be a customer-oriented smart product catering to personal needs, such as house-keeping, babysitting and tutoring," said Li Boyang, CEO of EXrobots, a Dalian-based Chinese tech company.
The 2024 WRC opened in Beijing on Wednesday, bringing together hundreds of industry professionals and highlighting a number of cutting-edge developments in the fast-evolving robotics industry.
According to the organizer, 169 global companies, including ABB, Tesla, Kuka and SMC, are presenting their 600-plus knockout exhibits throughout the five-day event.
Humanoid robots show diversified applicable scenarios at World Robot Conference 2024
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that Tehran wants to make a deal "quickly and badly" and that Washington could resume negotiations.
"The failing Nation of Iran wants to make a deal, quickly and badly. I will determine whether or not the U.S.A. will choose to engage -- The concept of which we are open to," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
In a separate post, Trump said that oil is flowing through the Strait of Hormuz, and that countries of the world should and will reimburse the U.S. after the war with Iran is over.
He said on Sunday that he expects the war to end this year, possibly after midterm elections due in November.
In response to Trump's latest remarks, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Mohsen Rezaei said early Tuesday in a post on social media platform X that Iran will not negotiate with the United States unless its conditions are met.
"Don't get distracted by the U.S. president's mixed signals -- from 'no negotiations' to 'we're ready to talk.' The stakes around oil and the straits have changed. Damage control won't stop what's coming," Rezaei wrote.
"No talks until Iran's conditions are met. Period!" he stressed.
On Monday, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei reiterated at a press conference that the U.S. must stop its illegal and interventionist actions against Iran, compensate for the crimes it has committed, and halt the sanctions and the economic war it has launched.
As long as the U.S. insists on continuing its aggressive actions, the naval blockade, and other measures that violate international law, Iran will continue all actions necessary in response, Baghaei said.
He also dismissed U.S. allegations that Iran attacked Saudi Arabia's East-West Pipeline from Iraqi territory last week, which has forced the crucial oil conduit to shut down.
"The fact that, under these circumstances, the U.S. keeps fabricating a lie in order to exacerbate divisions between the countries of the region is one of the consequences of the issues that exist in our region," the spokesman said.
On June 18, the United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on ending the war in the region on all fronts, including Lebanon.
Under the MoU, they were scheduled to hold negotiations for a final agreement within a period of 60 days, which ended on Aug 17, but the talks' fate remains unclear following a series of recent escalations between the two countries.
Trump says U.S. open to negotiations with Iran
