Xiaomi trials humanoid robots in its EV factory — says they’re like ‘interns’

　　Xiaomi trialed its humanoid robots in its electric vehicle production plants, the company’s president told CNBC, as it looks to boost productivity in its factories.

　　Two humanoid robots can complete 90% of the work in three hours, Lu Weibing told CNBC in an interview at the Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona, Spain. They can complete tasks like installing nuts and moving materials, he said.

　　“To integrate robots into our production lines, the biggest challenge is for them to keep up with the pace,” Weibing added. “In Xiaomi’s car factory, every 76 seconds, a new car gets off the assembly line. The two humanoid robots are able to keep up our pace.”

　　Lu said that having humanoid robots working in factories and improving productivity was a key focus for Xiaomi. In the future, humanoid robots will be able to “replace humans for certain work” and “accomplish work that humans couldn’t do,” he added.

　　Xiaomi first debuted its CyberOne humanoid robot in 2022, but it is currently not selling the product.

　　Interns

　　However, Lu said the use of its robots in production plants was still in its early stages.

　　“The robots in our production lines weren’t doing an official job, more like the interns,” Lu told CNBC.

　　Still, the trial highlights the pace at which Chinese companies are investing in and improving robotic capabilities.

　　There are a plethora of Chinese firms, some of which have recently gone public, developing the technology. Experts expect Chinese firms to ramp up production of robots this year, with the country itself an early adopter of the technology.

　　Analysts at RBC Capital Markets forecast a global total addressable market for humanoids of $9 trillion by 2050, with China accounting for more than 60% of that.

　　Xiaomi built its business around selling a whole host of consumer electronics products, but in recent years launched an electric vehicle business, which is growing fast. While Lu said he was “bullish” on robotics, he also said it was “too early to say” how big the market will be.

　　Other companies in China have also expanded into robotics. Chinese EV startup XPeng has developed its own humanoid, while on Sunday, smartphone player Honor debuted its first model.

　　In the U.S., Elon Musk has sought to position Tesla as a robotics and AI firm. In January, Musk said Tesla was ending production of its Model S and X vehicles and would use the factory in Fremont, California, to build Optimus humanoid robots.
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