With the growing excitement surrounding humanoid robots, the spotlight is no longer solely on TeslaIn recent months, a surge of investment has flowed into domestic companies specializing in embodied intelligence, with some startups securing substantial funding amounting to over 1 billion yuan within the yearThis trend reflects a significant shift in the robotics landscape, as many firms capitalize on the burgeoning market.
Among these companies, names like Galaxy General, Daimeng Robotics, Xingdong Epoch, and Zhiyuan Robotics may not be immediately recognizable to outsiders, yet they are garnering attention from major investors such as Alibaba, Lenovo, Meituan, Shunwei, and IDGSome of these enterprises benefit from the backing of multiple local government investment platforms, which bolsters their financial capabilities and credibility in a competitive field.
While these emerging companies are forging ahead in their quest for innovation, established tech giants like NVIDIA and Huawei have also announced plans to launch or have already initiated the development of the next generation of intelligent robotsNVIDIA's founder and CEO, Jensen Huang, has stated that the next wave of artificial intelligence will stem from embodied intelligence, a sentiment echoed by Huawei, which recently established a global innovation center for the sector, signing strategic partnerships with 16 companies, including Leju Robotics and Dazhong Robotics, to advance the commercialization of humanoid robotics.
This golden age of investment in humanoid robots has drawn humorous commentary, with some likening the situation to “baby unicorns still growing while the big sharks have already entered the pool.” Indeed, it begs the question: why has embodied intelligence gained such immense traction? As the name suggests, it refers to robots integrated with a physical body and powered by advanced AI, capable of functioning effectively across various fields, such as healthcare, logistics, and elder care.
Analysts view embodied intelligence as one of the most promising applications in the AI domain, potentially emerging as the next big trend comparable to the rise of the smartphone
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Predictions indicate that the Chinese humanoid robot market could reach approximately 2.76 billion yuan by 2024, expanding to 75 billion yuan by 2029, a staggering 26-fold increase that would account for 32.7% of the global market.
A technology-driven industrial revolution appears to be quietly unfolding.
When discussing humanoid robots, most people’s thoughts gravitate towards Tesla, which has played a pioneering role in this fieldIn the latter half of 2022, Tesla announced and revealed the prototype of its humanoid robot, OptimusThis product was heralded as a revolutionary advancement that could lead the "humanoid" robot sector into commercialization, igniting intense speculation in capital markets prior to its debut.
Data shows that from late April to the end of August 2022, the Tesla Concept Index surged nearly 60% over five months, reflecting the market's fervent optimismHowever, in reality, humanoid robots at that time remained largely conceptual, plagued by challenges in hardware and software technologies, as well as issues within the supply chain and cost structures.
As of now, a truly commercially viable humanoid robot has yet to emergeEven Tesla’s so-called “second-generation humanoid robot,” touted as a milestone in robotic evolution, faced another production delay announced by Elon MuskHe indicated plans for limited production in 2024, primarily for internal use, with a broader rollout to other companies aimed by 2026 – a year later than initially projected.
This delay in mass production highlights that, despite the hype surrounding humanoid robots, real progress is slowHowever, Musk remains remarkably enthusiastic about the humanoid robot sector, frequently asserting that the number of robots could one day surpass humans, achieving a ratio of at least 2:1 or even 3:1.
This viewpoint is shared by Huang of NVIDIA, who in a June 2024 interview expressed his belief that humanoid robots will become as ubiquitous as cars, with substantial advancements in robotics technology expected within the next two to three years.
Since 2023, artificial intelligence has swiftly established itself as an unmissable opportunity, prompting tech giants and startups alike to ramp up investments in this domain
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The previously limiting factor of "human-like" intelligence for robotics has finally seen a breakthrough due to advancements in AI technology.
This advancement forms the basis of Huang's conviction in an impending robotic era, bolstered by breakthroughs in foundational models for cognitive and physical intelligenceFor instance, Google's PaLM-E, a vision-language model, can comprehend images while generating language, completing complicated robotic tasks without requiring retrainingSimilar sentiments were expressed by Microsoft regarding using ChatGPT to address robotic challenges.
The emergence of generative AI and the evolution of large models have rendered humanoid robots increasingly intelligent and autonomous, thus enhancing their commercial viabilityStarting from this foundational logic, it’s clear that AI-enhanced humanoid robots represent the next wave of artificial intelligenceWith key technology leaders announcing their entry into the embodied intelligence industry, this vision is becoming ever clearer.
In March, NVIDIA launched its multi-modal humanoid robot foundational model, Project GR00T, designed to serve as the brain for robots, enabling them to learn skills and complete tasksThey also unveiled a new robotics system-level chip, Jetson Thor, to support generative AI models, including GR00T.
Months later, NVIDIA reaffirmed its commitment to the humanoid robot market by introducing a Jetson Thor computer for robot manufacturers, positioning it similarly to Google's Android platform in terms of offering third-party technical support.
Simultaneously, Huawei announced its foray into this transformative opportunity, launching the Huawei (Shenzhen) Global Embodied Intelligence Industry Innovation Center and signing memorandums of understanding with 16 robotic companiesThe strategic significance of these two major players suggests that their entry may accelerate the commercialization of humanoid robots, instilling further confidence in this nascent field.
As we approach the latter half of 2024, the fervor surrounding the embodied intelligence sector has reached unprecedented heights, with financing trends exploding
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Data indicates that in October alone, 42 funding activities related to the robotics industry occurred in China, signaling a notable increase from September and surpassing 1 billion yuan in cumulative financing.
Since November, startups like Galaxy General and Daimeng Robotics have successfully attracted recognition from prominent investorsFor example, Galaxy General recently announced it secured 500 million yuan in angel-plus financing in a new funding round, accumulating over 1.2 billion yuan overall within just a year and a half since its establishment.
Founded by a Stanford PhD and a Peking University doctoral advisor, the impressive credentials of Galaxy General's leadership and its robust research team have propelled the firm to stardom within the entrepreneurial sphereRemarkably, Galaxy General unveiled its first generalized embodied intelligence model robot, the Galaxy General G1, earlier this yearAt the World Robot Conference 2024 in July, the Galaxy General Galbot demonstrated four real-world tasks, covering applications in commercial, industrial, and home environments.
The expectation is that the robots may enter mass production by 2026, with initial small orders fulfilled within the current yearMeanwhile, another new entrant, Yushu Technology, has also attracted substantial investments and launched its Unitree G1 humanoid smart device at a competitive price starting at 99,000 yuan.
From demonstrations at the recent "Internet Light" Expo, the Unitree G1 showcased impressive human-like movements such as gait walking, waving, and carrying objectsA quadrupedal robotic dog from the same company also exhibited agility through actions like backflips and realistic movementsThe industrial-grade quadrupedal robot is already being utilized for inspections in factories, security in parks, and rescue explorations in hazardous environments, with clients including substations and chemical plants.
Internationally, Figure AI, established in 2022 and backed by renowned investors such as Jeff Bezos, Microsoft, NVIDIA, and OpenAI, has successfully enhanced the productivity of its Figure 02 humanoid robot in collaboration with automotive giant BMW
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