Xiaomi tests humanoid robots at its EV factory
People watch Xiaomi’s humanoid robot ‘CyberOne’ during the 2023 World Robot Conference at the Beijing Itrong International Exhibition and Convention Center on August 18, 2023 in Beijing, China.
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Xiaomi tested its humanoid robots at its electric vehicle manufacturing plants, the company’s president told CNBC, as it seeks to increase productivity in its factories.
Two humanoid robots can complete 90% of the work in three hours, Lu Weibing told CNBC in an interview at the Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona, Spain. They can complete tasks such as installing nuts and moving materials, he said.
“To integrate robots into our production line, one of the biggest challenges is keeping them up to speed,” Weibing added. “At Xiaomi’s car factory, every 76 seconds, a new car rolls off the assembly line. Two humanoid robots are able to keep up our pace.”
Lu said Xiaomi’s main focus is to have humanoid robots work in factories and improve productivity. In the future, humanoid robots will “replace humans for some tasks” and “be able to complete tasks that humans cannot,” he added.
Xiaomi first debuted its CyberOne humanoid robot in 2022, but it doesn’t currently sell the product.
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However, Lu said the use of robots in manufacturing plants is still in its infancy.
“The robots in our production lines were increasingly not doing official work like interns,” Lu told CNBC.
Still, the trial highlights the pace at which Chinese companies are investing Improving robotic capabilities.
A number of Chinese companies, some of which have recently gone public, are developing the technology. Experts expect Chinese companies The country itself is an early adopter of the technology, ramping up production of robots this year.
Analysts at RBC Capital Markets estimate the global total addressable market for humanoids at $9 trillion by 2050, with China accounting for more than 60%.
Xiaomi built its business around selling a whole host of consumer electronics products, but in recent years launched an electric vehicle business, which is growing rapidly. Lu said he was “enthusiastic” about robotics, adding that it was “too early to tell” how big the market would be.
Other companies in China have also expanded into robotics. Chinese EV startup XPeng has developed its own humanoid, while Sunday’s smartphone player Honor debuted its first model.
In the US, Elon Musk has demanded a position Tesla As a robotics and AI firm. In January, Musk said Tesla was ending production of its Model S and X vehicles and would use a factory in Fremont, California. Build the Optimus humanoid robot.
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