China's humanoid robot in fine-tuning stage: industry conference

Chinese industry experts attending a major conference in Shanghai on Friday described China's technology for humanoid robots in the fine-tuning stage before their large presence in the services sectors.

The second China Humanoid Robot Ecology Conference opened on Friday at the Shanghai Automobile Exhibition Center, bringing together industry leaders and scholars from home and abroad to explore the latest trends in this rapidly evolving sector.

The two-day event showcases leading Chinese companies' cutting-edge technologies and innovative products.

"We humans are fully intelligent beings. We hope that humanoid robots will start with a single form of intelligence. The goal is to master one task perfectly and then move on to the next, gradually developing from there. We must respect the fundamental laws of scientific and technological development," said Pro. Chu Junhao, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

"The ultimate goal for humanoid robots is certainly to become service robots. The technology is still being fine-tuned in factories or other scenarios before it can enter the service sector," said Leng Xiaokun, founder of Shenzhen-based robotics startup Leju.

Chinese industry professionals have outlined a three-phase roadmap for humanoid robot commercialization. The first phase involves applications in research and commercial service scenarios, such as showroom tours. The second phase, currently being tested, focuses on industrial applications, including factory tasks such as automobile assembly lines. The final phase will introduce humanoid robots into everyday environments, such as households, for general-purpose services.

According to the Chinese Institute of Electronics, China's humanoid robot market is projected to reach 870 billion yuan (about 120 billion U.S. dollars) by 2030.

International scholars from countries such as South Korea and Russia also shared insights on technological achievements and industrial practices at the conference.

China's humanoid robot in fine-tuning stage: industry conference

The Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday that its forces had seized six more settlements in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions, while Ukraine claimed the same day that its forces had attacked a Russian oil refinery.

In its latest report, the ministry said that over the past 24 hours, Russian forces had taken control of four settlements in the Donetsk region and two in the Zaporizhzhia region. It added that Russian forces struck energy facilities serving Ukraine's military-industrial enterprises and that the country's air defense systems shot down 370 Ukrainian drones.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in a report issued at 20:00 Sunday that over the past 24 hours, Ukrainian forces had carried out strikes on Russian targets, including assembly areas and command posts. It added that Ukrainian troops had repelled Russian offensives in the Slobozhansk, Kupyansk and Liman directions.

Ukrainian forces also said they launched an attack on the Syzran oil refinery in Russia's Samara region early in the morning, sparking a fire.

Russia reports capturing 6 more settlements, Ukraine says it struck Russian oil refinery