- Title: China's 'Westworld': Inside the incredible humanoid robot factory
- Date: 11th June 2024
- Summary: DALIAN, CHINA (JUNE 6, 2024) (REUTERS) UNFINISHED HUMANOID ROBOT, ELECTRONIC UNIT IN ROBOT HEAD ELECTRONIC UNITS IN BOX INTERIOR OF EX-ROBOTS OFFICE AND FACTORY ENGINEERS ASSEMBLING HUMANOID ARM STEEL ROBOT SKELETON WALKING EX-ROBOT HUMANOID PROTOTYPE IN DESIGN OFFICE EX-ROBOT HUMANOID PROTOTYPE AND ROBOT DESIGN DRAWINGS ON WALL (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CEO OF EX-ROBOTS, LI BOYANG, SAYING: “Since 2009, we have been developing this bionic humanoid robot. The bionic humanoid robot we made is actually the most complex class of robotic products, which integrates almost all robotics technologies, including the robot's bionic skin, mechanical structure, automatic control, as well as its intelligent brain, which is our Large Language Model (LLM). We now use this kind of robot as a terminal for external display, or what we call ‘foundation model of human contact’, such an intelligent terminal, and apply it to many service scenarios.” COMPUTER SCREEN SHOWING HUMANOID OPERATING SYSTEM STAFF OPERATING HUMANOID HUMANOID BLINKING, SHAKING HEAD HANDS OF HUMANOID MOVING HUMANOID HEAD AND BODY (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CEO OF EX-ROBOTS, LI BOYANG, SAYING: “We have our own software and algorithm teams. In terms of algorithms, we focus more on the part of AI that integrates with the robot. There are many basic models and algorithms that are commonly open source, which everyone uses. However, we concentrate more on how to enable the AI to recognize and express expressions and emotions. Additionally, we work on multimodal capabilities, simulating how people have various perceptual abilities with data fusion and analysis. So our AI focuses on emotional interaction.” VARIOUS OF HUMANOID MIMICKING EX-ROBOTS STAFF’S HEAD MOVEMENT AND FACIAL EXPRESSIONS HUMANOID BLINKING AND STICKING OUT TONGUE SCREEN CAPTURING HUMAN FACIAL EXPRESSIONS (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CEO OF EX-ROBOTS, LI BOYANG, SAYING: “Because when we human beings make expressions, the face consists of many feature points, and the movement of the feature points forms our micro-expressions. We transform these feature points into (humanoid) facial degrees of freedom, and these degrees of freedom are driven by the motors in the robot's face, so when we control the facial expressions, first of all, it involves the hardware. We have to make the motors as miniaturized as possible, and through the spatial design of our mechanical structure, we can integrate a large number of movable motors into the small space of the humanoid face.” STAFF PICKING UP HUMANOID FACE MODEL VARIOUS OF STAFF TEARING OFF HUMANOID FACE FROM FACIAL MOLD STAFF WORKING BEHIND HUMANOID HAND MODELS STAFF LOOKING AT HUMANOID FACE (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CEO OF EX-ROBOTS, LI BOYANG, SAYING: “Another aspect we are working on is developing an operating system for robots. This operating system is designed to drive hardware and integrate with our foundation model. With this operating system, the emotional and sentiment outputs from the foundation model can be manifested in our robotic hardware. Lastly, we are also working on the foundation model. The model we’re making is multimodal and capable of emotional expression. It can perceive the surrounding environment and produce appropriate facial feedback, and the expressions can be generated automatically.” TOE TO HEAD OF HUMANOID PROTOTYPE OF CHINESE CULTURAL ICON LEI FENG, SOLDIER IN PEOPLE’S LIBERATION ARMY HEAD OF LEI FENG HUMANOID MOVING EYES OF LEI FENG HUMANOID BLINKING WIRE AND ELECTRONIC UNIT IN HUMANOID HANDS VARIOUS OF STAFF HOLDING AND PINCHING HUMANOID HAND (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CEO OF EX-ROBOTS, LI BOYANG, SAYING: “Psychological counseling and health are certainly future application scenarios. We are currently conducting related research, such as auxiliary treatment and preliminary screening for emotional and psychological disorders. Moreover, I believe that emotional interaction has broader applications in service fields, such as those aimed at children. Children need a lot of emotional interaction; during the learning process, they hope that their teachers, playmates, and even their educational aids can engage with them emotionally. The same goes for the elderly. Older adults have clear emotional needs, especially those living alone who can greatly benefit from emotionally interactive hardware.” HUMANOID SWITCHING ON STAFF SPEAKING TO HUMANOID STAFF SPEAKING HUMANOID RECEIVING SPEECH FROM HUMAN HUMANOID REACTING, SPEAKING HUMANOIDS SPEAKING (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CEO OF EX-ROBOTS, LI BOYANG, SAYING: “Its application in the commercial field can also be replicated, like I just said the front desk of the hotel, the receptionist of the public administration service centre. There are a lot of jobs that humanoid robots can actually be competent at. And entering households must be the most massive demand. We also think that every person may have a humanoid robot in the future at home for their service, or even more than one. So when such a large number of demand appear, it is the time of the industry boom.” STAFF WORKING IN HUMANOID BODY PRODUCTION HOUSE HUMANOID BODY MOLD STAFF LIFTING UPPER BODY OF HUMANOID STAFF PUTTING UPPER BODY OF HUMANOID ON GROUND
- Embargoed: 25th June 2024 09:10
- Keywords: AI Chinese robots Ex-Robots ExRobots Westworld artificial intelligence humanoid robot ultra-realistic robot
- Location: DALIAN, CHINA
- City: DALIAN, CHINA
- Country: China
- Topics: Asia / Pacific,Information Technologies / Computer Sciences,Science
- Reuters ID: LVA001886207062024RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: On the floor of the Ex-Robots factory in China's northeastern coastal city of Dalian, engineers develop humanoid robots with a focus on enhancing facial expressions and emotions.
Neck-length silicone masks lie sprawled on a table alongside silicone arms and feet, while disembodied heads sit on display and humanoid robots in various stages of construction stand nearby. Drawings of robot designs adorn a wall.
"We have our own software and algorithm teams," said Ex-Robots Chief Executive Li Boyang, adding that humanoid robots are the most complex class of robotic products.
"There are many basic models and algorithms that are commonly open source, which everyone uses. However, we concentrate more on how to enable the AI to recognise and express expressions and emotions."
As an Ex-Robots worker moves her head, smiles and sticks out her tongue, a humanoid robot mimics her movement thanks to tiny motors installed in several spaces in its head.
"We are also working on the foundation model. The model we're making is multi-modal and capable of emotional expression. It can perceive the surrounding environment and produce appropriate facial feedback," Li said.
Ex-Robots said it takes from two weeks to a month to produce a humanoid robot, with prices ranging from 1.5 million yuan ($207,000) to 2 million yuan.
The main purpose of the company's robots so far is for display in museums, one of which Ex-Robots has housed in the same building as its factory.
Looking ahead, Li believes humanoid robots will have a bigger role to play in the healthcare and education industries.
"Psychological counselling and health are certainly future application scenarios. We are currently conducting related research, such as auxiliary treatment and preliminary screening for emotional and psychological disorders," he said.
"Moreover, I believe that emotional interaction has broader applications in service fields, such as those aimed at children."
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