Spark Deep Dive: US and China compete to take the top spot in humanoid robotics

Players from all over the world are eager to take the lead in the field of humanoid robotics. No one country is totally dominant in this 21st century “space race”. However, China and the United States are in the first tier.

“In the US, the focus is on staying at the forefront of technology and exploring unknown technical challenges,” said Xu Xuecheng. He is a lead scientist with the Zhejiang Humanoid Robot Innovation Centre.

Meanwhile, Chinese companies are invested in building humanoid robots for real-world use. “The focus is more on how to integrate existing technologies for practical application,” Xu said.

However, the release of DeepSeek’s R1 large language model (LLM) earlier this year could change the US’ strategy. The Chinese AI start-up stunned the world with its LLM. Not only does it match the quality of the one from US company OpenAI, but it was also developed for less money.

Achievements such as these could speed up the development of humanoid robots.

Each humanoid unit has a highly advanced “brain” powered by AI, machine learning, and sensors. The brain helps it perceive its environment and act. Meanwhile, a sophisticated “body” built from lightweight materials uses flexible joints for lifelike motion. The brain and body work together to enable the robots to mimic human behaviour.

Many companies have said they will begin mass production of their models in 2025. China – long known as the “world’s factory” – has extended its manufacturing dominance to the world of robotics.

According to the International Federation of Robotics, more than half of global robot installations took place in China in 2023. This gives Chinese companies an advantage in cost control as they move to enter the home market.

“If companies can’t keep their prices under 200,000 yuan (HK$212,664) this year, it will be very difficult to push their products,” said He Liang, a professor at Northwestern Polytechnical University in Xian.

He said that companies are not making much profit right now. Instead, they are focused on quickly capturing market share. “To some extent, we’re already seeing a price war [in China],” He added.

Robotics firm Unitree recently revealed its production plans. Its basic G1 model will cost 99,000 yuan (HK$105,269). This is much less expensive than the typical 500,000 yuan (HK$531,661) its competitors charge.

Company founder Wang Xingxing has said costs will drop even further as production increases.

Staff writers

1. Based on the information in the news, which of the following are true?

(1) Advancements in AI technology can help develop new versions of humanoid robots more quickly.
(2) According to He Liang, companies need to price their humanoid robots at under 200,000 yuan so people will buy them.
(3) Less than half of global robot installations took place in China in 2023.
(4) Unitree is pricing its basic model at 150,000 yuan.

A. (1), (2) only
B. (1), (3) only
C. (2), (3) only
D. (2), (4) only

2. According to the news, what advantages does China have in producing the newest humanoid robot models?

3. Why does professor He Liang say China is undergoing a “price war”, and how does he think price will dictate the sale and production of humanoid robots in the future?

1. What is being shown in the illustration? How does it relate to the information presented in news?

2. What strategy has the US taken in the field of humanoid robotics, and how does it differ from China’s? Explain using the news and your own knowledge.

humanoid robotics: building robots that resemble the human body in shape. The design may be for functional purposes, such as interacting with human tools and environments, or for experiments.

space race: a period of competition between the Soviet Union and the United States over who could conquer space exploration first. During the Cold War in the mid-20th century, the two countries competed against each other for international dominance, and the space race was a symbol of the tense relationship between the superpowers.

large language model: artificial intelligence systems capable of understanding and generating human language by processing vast amounts of text data

market share: the percentage of the total sales in an industry made by one company

price war: when two or more competing companies lower the prices of their products or services to steal customers from their competitors or gain market share

1. A

2. China is now a forerunner in AI technology, particularly with the groundbreaking debut of DeepSeek. With AI technology, China can develop new models of humanoid robots with more intelligent capabilities.

In addition, China is the “world’s factory”, meaning they can manufacture a large amount of products - and quickly. There is more bandwidth, money, resources, and infrastructure already in place for many companies to create a horde of robots.

3. Companies making humanoid robots are competing for customers and trying to price their products lower than those of their competitors. Humanoid robots may soon take off in China, and companies want to become the top seller right away. He says companies must price their units below 200,000 yuan so that customers will be willing to buy their products. Unitree is one of the leaders regarding price, with its simple model costing 99,000 yuan, while other competitors have priced their models at 500,000 yuan. Ultimately, consumers will choose the options that are the most affordable. An increase in supply will likely drive the price down as well.

1. The illustration shows two humanoid robots arm wrestling over the US and Chinese flags. This represents their battle for dominance in this field, which is detailled in the news.

2. The US has focused on staying at the forefront of technology and exploring unknown technical challenges, while Chinese companies have invested in building humanoid robots for real-world use and integrating existing technologies for practical application. However, many suspect that the US will change its strategy and also begin to focus more on real-world use following the release of DeepSeek’s AI chatbot.