Acrobatic robot and cyber butler: what was shown at the WAIC conference

The eighth annual World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) took place in Shanghai from July 26 to 28, where several companies showcased their own robots.

The most popular were the droids from the startups Unitree, UBTech Robotics, and Agibot.

Unitree has presented a bot for $5900 that is capable of doing a wheel, running, walking on its hands, and boxing. It weighs 25 kg and is equipped with a large language model for communication and image processing.

Keenon has introduced a new model of humanoid robot XMAN-F1, which is capable of performing various tasks. In terms of specifications and appearance, it is similar to the Unitree R1, but it does not specialize in acrobatic tricks.

The manufacturer positions the XMAN-F1 as a multifunctional device for use in the hospitality business, commercial enterprises, and medical institutions.

A total of more than 80 robotic products were demonstrated, including over 60 smart and humanoid robots.

As part of WAIC, the Chinese Robotics Innovation Center signed new cooperation agreements with leading laboratories to develop the ecosystem for robot learning.

Particular attention was given to the issue of global governance of artificial intelligence and the development of international cooperation for the safe implementation of bots. This was stated by the Premier of the State Council of China, Li Qiang.

WAIC once again emphasized China's leadership in the field of robotics. The humanoid robots developed in the country have already played football, participated in a half marathon, and competed in a Muay Thai combat tournament by 2025.

Meanwhile, the American competitor - Tesla - is unable to create the planned 5000 Optimus robots by the end of 2025, writes The Information. Currently, there are several hundred bots. The company will either have to speed up production or postpone the deadlines for the plan.

Recall that in July, ByteDance introduced a system that serves as the "brain" for robots. It allows for household tasks such as hanging clothes or cleaning off the table.