BEIJING, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) — Chinese automakers are leveraging their technological strength and supply chain advantages to establish leadership in next-generation technologies, from humanoid robots to flying cars. The future industry is rapidly expanding.
Automaker GAC Group recently announced its third-generation humanoid robot, GoMate. The full-sized wheeled robot can climb stairs, climb hills, and overcome obstacles on one side.
Thanks to GAC’s battery technology expertise, GoMate offers a 6-hour battery life and can be applied in a wide range of fields such as security, healthcare, logistics, and education.
Zhang Aimin, head of GAC’s robot research and development team, said the company has clear production plans, starting with demonstration applications in various industries in 2025, small-scale production in 2026, and eventually large-scale production. He said he is aiming for production.
GAC Group is not the only company pursuing humanoid robotics.
BYD has taken a big step forward in this by investing in startup AgiBot. Chery partnered with AI company Aimoga to develop a humanoid robot initially intended to be used as a sales assistant in stores. Changan Automobile announced plans to invest more than 50 billion yuan (approximately 7 billion USD) in humanoid robots and automotive ecosystem robots over the next five years.
The synergies between intelligent vehicles and humanoid robots regarding the underlying software and hardware, supply chain, and production processes are the main reasons why many automakers are entering this new field.
Industry experts noted that the technologies used in autonomous driving, sensors, machine vision, and artificial intelligence overlap significantly with those needed to develop humanoid robots. Additionally, auto factories are ideal environments for testing and deploying humanoid robots, creating a closed-loop ecosystem for research, manufacturing, and applications.
“Autonomous driving and humanoid robots are both trillion yuan markets,” said Jin Qiao, president of Wuhan AI Research.
Similarly, many automakers are moving into the low-flying economy with the development of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, aircraft that can climb and descend vertically like a helicopter without the need for a runway. .
In December, the flying car “Land Aircraft Carrier” developed by electric vehicle manufacturer XPENG completed a test flight in Lujiazui, Shanghai’s central business district. The product received orders for more than 3,000 aircraft at the China Air Show in November.
Analysts said eVTOLs could share up to 80% of the supply chain with electric vehicles, further boosting the prospects for China’s flying car industry.
The expansion of Chinese automakers into future industries shows the transformative power of AI in the technology field.
Zhang Yongwei, vice chairman and secretary general of China EV100, an NEV industry think tank, said: “The competitive advantage of the automotive industry is rapidly shifting to AI-driven intelligence. Future developments will “It has to be based on the new competitive environment.” .
Zhang predicted that the automotive industry will enter an era of completely AI-driven competition, marking the beginning of a new phase of industry transformation. ■
