BEIJING, Aug. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — This year, Unitree Robotics’ humanoid robots have gone viral, drawing unprecedented attention to China’s humanoid robotics development. Alongside praise and encouragement, there have also been criticism and skepticism. Recently, at Unitree Robotics’s headquarters in Hangzhou, East China’s Zhejiang Province, Dou Hao (PD) from the People’s Daily interviewed the company’s founder, Wang Xingxing (Wang), an entrepreneur born in the 1990s, to hear his responses to social hotspots and his insights on industry development. This installment is among People’s Daily’s new interview series titled “Conversations with entrepreneurs on new initiatives.”
PD: After appearing on the CCTV Spring Festival Gala, Unitree Robotics’s humanoid robots have become a huge hit. Did you anticipate this?
Wang: To be honest, it was completely unexpected. In 2021, our “robot cow” appeared on the Spring Festival Gala, and this year we thought the impact might be similar. But the result far exceeded expectations, with many remembering the scene of dancing robots during the live show. In a way, it became a symbolic event blending traditional culture with high-tech, a cultural icon, and I feel honored.
PD: What impact has the sudden attention on humanoid robots had on your company?
Wang: High attention is good for the entire industry. Our company, other related enterprises and components makers all saw strong performance in the first half of this year.
Of course, with the spotlight comes pressure, too. More people are visiting, and interviewing us. I oversee tech and products, so these activities have taken some of my time. Industry growth needs attention, though it will have ups and downs before settling into rationality.
PD: Are there voices of doubt amid the attention your company has garnered?
Wang: Some people like it, some don’t – that’s normal. If everyone loves a company or a product, that would be abnormal.
PD: How far are humanoid robots from our everyday life applications?
Wang: They’re still far from entering every home at current stage. The industry is in its early development phase, so we’re starting with smaller areas like research, education, service displays, simple industrial uses, and at the same time, some artificial intelligence (AI) companies are using humanoid robots to explore new research fields too.
Our biggest goal, and current focus, is to make robots work. They can perform various actions and assist humans, but mass adoption of the robots in homes or factories isn’t feasible due to technical limitations. Step-by-step progress is good, fostering more understanding and tolerance for the industry.
PD: What’s the biggest challenge to mass adoption of humanoid robots?
Wang: The main hurdle is that the AI level of robots isn’t advanced enough to break the critical threshold, which is also a global issue now. Breakthroughs in AI can happen anytime, as sudden technological leaps are common. Problems unsolvable now might suddenly be resolved some day in the future.
PD: How long will it take to overcome the mass adoption bottleneck?
Wang: Robot AI is progressing fast. For example, six months ago, I wouldn’t have believed our robots could compete in martial arts matches – I thought it’d take at least one to two years – but it has happened in just a few months. Predicting industry growth is tough; notable progress might come in three to five years. Entering our homes will take longer due to ethical and safety concerns.
As long as AI keeps advancing, the robot industry will thrive – a clear trend over the past two to three years. People’s imagination for AI is growing, and they are increasingly optimistic about the robotics industry. The spotlight around humanoid robots this year might just be a small spark in the long run, similar to the early days of the internet.
PD: What’s the significance of robots competing in various events now?
Wang: As long as people enjoy it, providing emotional value is its worth. This also creates new market demand. Robot performances and competitions are vital to the future robot industry.
PD: Unitree Robotics started with robotic dogs but shifted to humanoid robots. Why drives the change?
Wang: It’s mainly due to AI advancements. Early AI was single-function, like recognizing numbers or human faces. Recent years have seen multimodal general-purpose AI, capable of many tasks, requiring a versatile robot like our humanoid robots.
PD: Why are humanoid robots, specifically?
Wang: It’s simple – more people like humanoid ones than dislike them, and the market is always rational.
PD: Where does China’s humanoid robot industry stand globally?
Wang: We excel in manufacturing, with high global shipment volumes. Each country has its strengths. We have fewer AI talents now, but long-term competitiveness is strong. Our edge in production, hardware, and cost-effectiveness lowers usage barriers, aiding future mass adoption.
PD: How do you view competitors and their products?
Wang: The industry is hot, with many players, each with strengths. An open mindset and healthy competition benefit the sector.
PD: How important is computing power to the humanoid robot industry?
Wang: It’s crucial, especially large-scale cluster computing. Robots are a collaborative creation with AI. Robots, especially humanoid ones, rely on batteries, and their battery load and power consumption limit their ability to carry large-scale computing power.
PD: How to address the computing power issue?
Wang: Future solutions may involve distributed computing. A factory with a centralized computing center could connect robots to it.
Proximity ensures sufficient bandwidth and low latency, whether wired or wireless. Connecting a Beijing robot to a Shanghai center would cause too much delay.
PD: Does the current talent supply meet industry development needs?
Wang: The humanoid robot sector has lacked talent. It’s a new field, with skills developing only recently. It’s still niche, with fewer entrants than expected. Talent quantity and quality need time to align with industry’s growth.
PD: Which talents are most needed?
Wang: All roles – technical and non-technical, including business and human resources – with AI-field talent being the core.
PD: Have you considered collaborating with universities or research institutes?
Wang: We maintain close ties with both domestic and overseas universities. We aim to advance technology in the robotics and AI industries, and building more connections with universities and young people is very important.
Jointly promoting industry advancement has been our biggest contribution over the past few years. A company’s success matters, but its impact on the industry and society is more important.
PD: Unitree Robotics once published a book on quadruped robots and promoted open-source technology. Why?
Wang: Beyond the book, we release open-source projects every few months. We aim to boost industry growth – strong industries benefit all companies – and cultivate talent.
Collaborating with universities, publishing books, or open-sourcing projects encourages more people, especially young people, to join and advance the field.
PD: Why is nurturing R&D talent a gradual process?
Wang: The industry evolves rapidly; maintaining a learning habit is the key. I manage company affairs during the day, but read some papers and write code at night, to always get relevant.
PD: How do you view the relationship between R&D and investment?
Wang: Whether learning new tech or developing products, defining direction is critical. Most R&D spending explores direction – the costliest part.
Staying sharp on tech and products can avoid detours. Test and explore at minimal cost, then focus on promising areas for deeper investment. This is crucial.
PD: What’s your ultimate vision for the robot industry?
Wang: To drive technological progress, elevating human productivity. Inventions like steam engines and electricity helped transform our society. Currently, general AI and robots could have an even bigger impact, freeing humans from the grueling manual labor.
PD: Unitree Robotics was born in Hangzhou (Zhejiang). What’s the relationship between the city and many technology firms?
Wang: Zhejiang Province offers an open, inclusive business environment. Tech firms thrive with young talent mastering new technologies. It can be understood in this way – cities attracting young people will see robust growth in the emerging high-tech industries.
PD: What support does the robot industry need?
Wang: The government already provides us with strong support. I hope people adopt a more open mindset toward new tech and new products. Industry cycles bring ups and downs – being popular today, but overlooked tomorrow. An open attitude toward fluctuations and greater confidence in the future are the biggest support for this industry.
View original content:SOURCE Global Times
