China's first independently-developed general humanoid robot, Tiangong, has achieved a series of technological upgrades, demonstrating new capabilities like running, climbing stairs, and conducting electrical inspections.
Embodied AI Robotics Innovation Center, formerly known as the Beijing Innovation Center of Humanoid Robotics, Tiangong stands at 163 centimeters tall and weighing just 43 kilograms.
It was unveiled last April as the world's first full-size purely electric-driven humanoid robot and went open source in November.
The humanoid robot can walk, run, and navigate obstacles with stability. More than just a robot, Tiangong also serves as a mother platform for humanoid robots, enabling enhanced capabilities by integrating advanced components like more sophisticated mechanical arms and more intelligent head modules.
The robot's chest cavity also allows for increased battery capacity and computing power.
With ongoing development, Tiangong has achieved numerous technological breakthroughs, including mastering stair climbing.
In a recent demonstration, it climbed 134 steps to reach the top of a hill in the Haiziqiang Park in Beijing's Tongzhou District, becoming the first robot of its kind to do so in an outdoor environment.
"We need to maintain high-frequency visual updates within 50 milliseconds. There will be hundreds or even thousands of robots, and by optimizing and iterating with our algorithms, we can then deploy these improvements onto the physical robot, enabling it to have excellent perception and mobility," said Wei Jiaxing, a researcher at the innovation center.
In less than a year, Tiangong's running speed has been greatly improved, reaching a top speed of 12 km/h.
The robot has also proven capable of running on snow, making it the world's first humanoid robot to do so, and it can maintain balance on soft, slippery surfaces.
"On the one hand, we will expose the robot to a variety of random yet general tasks and scenarios to strengthen its generalization ability. Additionally, we will incorporate short-term memory, enabling it to better understand and control itself in each scenario," Wei added.
In addition, Tiangong has taken on roles such as electrical inspection, efficiently conducting partial discharge testing on multiple power cabinets and performing operations such as closing and opening circuit breakers.
Looking ahead, Tiangong's technological capabilities will be integrated into the open-source ecosystem being developed by the innovation center, with an aim to reduce innovation barriers through technology sharing, and accelerate the adoption of humanoid robots across various sectors.
Chinese humanoid robot hits major tech milestones with new skills
Chinese humanoid robot hits major tech milestones with new skills
Chinese humanoid robot hits major tech milestones with new skills
