Biomimetic robot contest final opens in Beijing to test cutting-edge smart technologies

The two-day final of a biomimetic robot contest opened in Beijing on Monday, bringing together 56 robots to test their capacity of imitating human and animal movements as well as integrated application of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotic technologies.

Focused on bionics technologies and held in Zhonggauncun, or China's Silicon Valley, the 2024 Zhongguancun Biomimetic Robot Contest includes four events respectively for humanoid biomimetic robots, multi-legged biomimetic robots, embodied large models, and other biomimetic robots. Altogether 101 teams participated in the preliminary and the semi-final and 56 robots entered the final.

The humanoid biomimetic robots participating in the event are tested by their resemblance to the human body shape and their capacity of reaching or even surpassing human locomotor ability. The event includes tests for racing, obstacle overcoming and operation.

"We are participating in the most difficult competition. Relying only on visual detection, our robot can complete the task of identifying the doorknob, opening the door, searching for the box, and moving the box. All the operations are done autonomously by the robot itself without any human interference," said Zhou Mingcai, a contestant.

For multi-legged biomimetic robots, their competitions are focused on biological movement mechanisms and environmental adaptations, with events set for racing, obstacle overcoming, and task completion.

For embodied large model competition, the event is intended to test the integration of cutting-edge AI and robotic technologies with the large model algorithm of the participating robots, which comprehensively tests the capabilities of large model algorithm and multi-modal interaction at home and under industrial scenarios respectively.

The event for other biomimetic robots has no requirement for their physical form and is designed to present the various capacities of biomimetic robots.

Biomimetic robot contest final opens in Beijing to test cutting-edge smart technologies

Biomimetic robot contest final opens in Beijing to test cutting-edge smart technologies

Biomimetic robot contest final opens in Beijing to test cutting-edge smart technologies

Biomimetic robot contest final opens in Beijing to test cutting-edge smart technologies

U.S. stocks extended losses on Friday as an unexpectedly weak employment report and surging oil prices tied to the ongoing Middle East conflict heavily weighed on investor sentiment.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.95 percent to 47,501.55. The S and P 500 sank 1.33 percent to 6,740.02. The Nasdaq Composite Index shed 1.59 percent to 22,387.68.

Nine of the 11 primary S and P 500 sectors ended in the red. The consumer discretionary and materials sectors led the laggards, dropping 1.96 percent and 1.89 percent, respectively. Consumer staples and energy managed slight gains, advancing 0.29 percent and 0.13 percent, respectively.

The February jobs report dealt a blow to market confidence, revealing that non-farm payrolls unexpectedly contracted by 92,000, widely missing market expectations of a 55,000-job addition. Consequently, the national unemployment rate rose to 4.4 percent.

While the weak data quashed notions of a stabilizing labor market, analysts suggested the Federal Reserve is unlikely to cut interest rates this month because the energy price shock poses a significant risk of reigniting inflation.

San Francisco Federal Reserve President Mary Daly noted in a media interview that the report commands attention, acknowledging that the labor market may be weaker than previously observed.

Global oil prices surpassed 90 U.S. dollars per barrel on Friday. Tanker traffic in the critical Strait of Hormuz has slowed to a near-standstill, raising concerns that Gulf exporters may soon be forced to halt production due to depleted storage capacity.

The broader market sell-off dragged down major technology shares, with the "Magnificent Seven" closing mostly lower. In earnings news, Marvell Technology soared 18.35 percent to pace the Nasdaq, while Gap dropped 14.41 percent.

Financial equities also faced pressure with BlackRock down 7.17 percent, marking its worst trading session since April 4. The steep decline followed the investment management firm's unprecedented decision to cap client withdrawals from one of its private credit funds, signaling potential growing stress within the broader credit markets.

U.S. stocks drop amid weak jobs data