South Korean media: The number of humanoid robot patents in China is 15 times that of South Korea!
On December 7, the South Korean media "Gyeongang News" published an article stating that although they continuously move 20 kg boxes, they do not feel tired. They use artificial intelligence (AI) vision systems to inspect the quality of parts, including any missing parts, and place them accurately in the designated positions. After completing the task, they autonomously move to the next processing area. This is the humanoid robot Walker S1 from Chinese company UB Tech, which is currently being tested in factories of Chinese automakers such as BYD and Geely.
Behind those humanoid robots that move around factories like humans are the efforts made by China over the past decade to strengthen the supply chain and cultivate talent. 90% of the robot components in China are domestically produced, and in the past four years, the number of patent applications related to humanoid robots is four times that of the United States, five times that of Japan, and fifteen times that of South Korea.
According to a report titled "Current Situation of the AI+Humanoid Robot Industry Dominated by China" released by the National Intelligence Service of South Korea, China's humanoid robot industry leads in terms of component supply chain and talent. Notably, half of the headquarters of robot body R&D companies are located in China. The report analyzes that "China's most obvious advantage lies in its near-monopoly on robot hardware," and "China can independently produce about 90% of robot components, which makes it relatively easy for new enterprises to enter the market." Unlike U.S. companies that purchase key components from China, Chinese companies enjoy cost advantages.
According to Bank of America Securities, the current raw material cost of humanoid robots is about $35,000, but if using components produced in China, it can be reduced by half by 2030, i.e., to $17,000.
Another major advantage of China's humanoid robot industry lies in its large R&D team. As of last year, the number of students enrolled in robot-related majors at Chinese universities was approximately 580,000, accounting for 42% of the global total. Many leading enterprises driving the development of China's AI and robot industries, such as DeepSeek, UB Tech, and Yuneec Technology, have their main entrepreneurs mostly from domestic universities, fully reflecting the close connection between China's talent cultivation and the entrepreneurial ecosystem. In the past four years, China has submitted 5,688 patent applications, far exceeding the United States (1,483), Japan (1,195), and South Korea (368), reflecting the research achievements of enterprises and research institutions.
However, the report also pointed out the limitations of China's robot industry, stating that its "technical maturity is limited, including shortcomings in algorithms, data, and computing power." The report also noted that China's humanoid robot technology is rated "Level 1," still requiring manual operation. Additionally, the analysis shows that although China has large-scale production capacity for components, key technologies such as high-precision motors and high-resolution sensors are still dominated by companies in Japan, Germany, and the United States.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1850841477977096/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author.