Humanoid robots still have a long way to go to reach people in terms of efficiency, claims the director of a large company in the field
A robot that can change its own battery (photo JLPPA / Bestimage / Profimedia)
An executive at a Chinese manufacturer of humanoid robots believes that these robots are, at best, only half as efficient as human workers.
UBTech is the name of the company, it is headquartered in Shenzhen, and clients include BYD and Foxconn.
Michael Tam, brand director at UBTech, was quoted by the Financial Times as saying that the company's robots are 30-50% more productive than human workers, and these percentages only apply to activities such as quality control and arranging packages in warehouses.
Proponents of humanoid robots say their ability to move between production lines makes them useful in a wider range of scenarios compared to traditional industrial machines. Elon Musk promoted Tesla's attempts to build the Optimus robot and spoke enthusiastically several times about a future dominated by fully automated factories.
China is the world leader in the installation of industrial robots in various production facilities, with a share of more than 50% worldwide.
The vast majority of industrial robots in factories are not humanoids, but are mostly metal arms that perform various repetitive tasks on assembly lines.
Analysts cited by the FT, however, believe that humanoid robots come with a more complex set of problems and requirements than traditional robotic arms or conveyor belts. For example, there would be a need for independent power sources, more mobile joints, and the technical ability to perform tasks that require more advanced decision-making.
UBTech says it hopes to bring the robot's performance up to 80 percent of that of a human worker by 2027. The company said it shipped 500 humanoid robots to its customers last year and plans to assemble 10,000 robots this year.
