With its win in China’s first half marathon for humanoid robots, the state-backed Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Centre has entered the national spotlight as it aims to become something akin to Google’s Android operating system for artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled machines.
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The centre, also known as X-Humanoid, operates the Tien Kung Ultra robot, which secured first place at the half marathon in Beijing’s Yizhuang district on Saturday.
The 180cm, 55kg Tien Kung robot completed the 21km track in about two hours and 40 minutes, according to the centre.
X-Humanoid was jointly established in November 2023 by Beijing Jingcheng Machinery Electric Company, Beijing Xiaomi Robotics Technology and UBTech Robotics, with each holding a 28.57 per cent stake, according to Chinese corporate database Qichacha. Beijing Yizhuang Robotics Technology Industry Development, a subsidiary of the state-owned investment firm Yizhuang Holdings, owns the remaining 14.29 per cent.
Xiong Youjun, UBTech’s chief technology officer, serves as the centre’s general manager, according to a blog post the company published on WeChat in January 2024. X-Humanoid aims to build “core platforms” for humanoid robot hardware and software, Xiong said at the time.
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Last month, X-Humanoid launched Hui Si Kai Wu, a general-purpose “universal embodied AI platform”. The centre said it wants the system to be the “the Android in the field of humanoid robots”, referring to Google’s open-source mobile operating system that has become the most widely used smartphone software. Hui Si Kai Wu can operate various types of robots, instructing them to perform tasks ranging from industrial sorting to building blocks, according to the centre.