Learning from Tesla, China is Now Far More Advanced than America
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – China currently dominates the electric vehicle (EV) market. Not only that, China is also increasingly competing with Tesla from the United States (US) in the race to develop battery-based humanoid robots.
The battery humanoid is targeted to replace humans in the EV assembly process, quoted from Reuters, Monday (26/8/2024).
At the World Robot Conference in Beijing, dozens of Chinese companies showed off humanoids designed to work in factories and warehouses.
In fact, it also displays several specific components that China developed to create humanoids.
China’s strategy to rapidly develop the humanoid industry borrows the formula for developing the EV industry in the past decade.
Starting from full government support, competitive price competition, to the development of a capable component supply chain.
“China’s humanoid robot industry is showing clear benefits from supply chain integration with manufacturing capabilities,” said LeadLeo Research Institute analyst Arjen Rao.
China’s robot development efforts are supported by Xi Jinping’s government policy to build a new, technology-based productive force.
In January, Beijing launched a $1.4 billion fund for robot development, while Shanghai announced a $1.4 billion government funding plan in July.
Goldman Sachs predicted in January that the global market for humanoid robots would reach US$38 billion by 2034, with shipments of 1.4 million humanoid robots for consumers and industry.
“There’s a lot of room to cut costs,” said Hu Debo, CEO of Shanghai Kepler Exploration Robotics, which was founded last year and inspired by Tesla’s humanoid robot, Optimus.
“China is ahead in speed and production,” he said.
Hu’s company is developing a fifth version of its factory-grade worker robot, targeting a selling price of less than $30,000.
Learn from Tesla When Tesla opened a factory in Shanghai in 2019, the Chinese government expressed hope that the EV pioneer would create a ‘catfish effect’, that is, to encourage local industries to develop better products.
Hu said the same effect occurred with Tesla’s Optimus robot.
Tesla first introduced Optimus in 2021. CEO Elon Musk said the robotics industry will grow more significantly than EVs in stages.
Tesla uses AI approach for Optimus. Analysts say Tesla is initiating AI for robots, but China has the ability to cut production costs.
At a conference in Beijing, Tesla showed off the Optimus alongside its Cybertruck. It was still stiff and mannequin-like.
Optimus seems far behind compared to the Chinese-made humanoids that can wave, walk, and even scratch their heads.
In its statement, Tesla said it would move forward with Optimus. Not only as a prototype, but production will begin next year on a small scale.
SOURCE : CNBC INDONESIA
