Humanoid robotics: China sets speed records as Europe seeks strategic industrial plan

China has demonstrated significant advancements in humanoid robotics, with the Tiangong Ultra robot setting a new record in the 100-meter sprint at the World Humanoid Robot Games. The robot completed the distance in 8.86 seconds, surpassing the previous record and the human speed of Usain Bolt. While these athletic feats showcase technological evolution, the primary goal for Chinese developers remains the integration of robots into factory environments, which requires higher precision and more complex software capabilities.

In response to China's progress, European researchers are focusing on practical applications, such as collaborative service robots. During an event at the European Parliament, researchers demonstrated robots capable of tasks like clearing tables to highlight coordination skills. Experts are calling on Brussels to implement an ‘AI-based Robotics Act,’ similar to the Chips Act, to foster a robust European robotics ecosystem. The proposed strategy aims to create 5-10 major European robotics players and capture 33% of the global general-purpose AI robotics market by 2035 to help mitigate demographic challenges and labor shortages.