South Korean media: Why has Japan, a "robot superpower," been surpassed by China?

On January 11, the South Korean media "Choice Economy" published an article stating that industrial robots have always been Japan's traditional strength, but China has shown strong power in the emerging humanoid robot market.

Japan, as a pioneer in robot research, has long maintained a strong competitive advantage in the field of industrial robots. However, due to a shortage of AI talent, Japan has never been able to catch up with the new wave of humanoid robots led by AI.

Recently, the Tokyo International Robot Exhibition (IREX) opened in Tokyo and attracted a record number of 673 companies participating. Among them were 140 international companies from 13 countries, including 84 Chinese companies, which also reached a record number. The presence of Chinese companies at this exhibition was very obvious.

At the TechShare booth, the Japanese general sales agent of Ubitus Technology G1 robots, there were performances of boxing and dancing by Ubitus robots, attracting many visitors. At the booths of other software and solution companies, Ubitus robots could also be seen as training platforms. An expert commented, "The mechanical and hardware completion of Ubitus robots is very high, making it very suitable for secondary development."

Senior researcher Tang Jin from Mizuho Bank said, "Industrial robots have always been Japan's traditional advantage area, but China has started to compete in emerging technologies and industries, which currently do not have clear leaders."

Japan was an early pioneer in humanoid robot research, starting related research as early as the 1960s. In the early 1970s, Waseda University in Japan launched WABOT-1, which is considered the first full-sized humanoid robot in the world capable of moving and grasping objects.

The Japanese company SoftBank once symbolized Japan's hope for emotional communication robots. The company launched Pepper in 2014, a humanoid robot, which was claimed to be "a robot that can recognize human emotions." However, due to weak demand, the production of Pepper was suspended in 2021, and subsequently, many major humanoid robot projects in Japan also ended.

Kiyohiro Shigemasa, president of Japanese Techshare Company, said, "This has led Japanese society to show a relatively indifferent attitude towards the recent humanoid robot boom. As early as 35 years ago, humanoid robots in Japan had already started to dance. However, they were limited to entertainment purposes, with no industrial contributions, and public interest eventually gradually faded."

Experts analyze that the key difference between the current wave of humanoid robots and previous robots lies in the "brain" of artificial intelligence. They expect robots to be able to learn independently and develop general capabilities, rather than relying on pre-set actions as before.

Tang Jin said, "China's digital economy has crossed a qualitative turning point. China's strong software development capabilities, deep AI talent reserves, and vast domestic market provide rich practical learning scenarios for artificial intelligence." Since the release of the "Made in China 2025" strategic plan in 2015, which listed robots and related supply chains as strategic industries, China has made significant investments in these areas.

According to statistics from the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), China installed 295,000 industrial robots in 2024, accounting for 54% of global demand. In terms of domestic market share, Chinese companies have exceeded foreign companies for the first time, reaching 57%.

Tang Jin said, "China's national industrial policies have been highly effective in promoting industrial expansion. Solar energy and electric vehicles are the best examples. Through competition, the strongest survive."

In contrast, Japan's university system still centers around engineering institutions, focusing on cultivating manufacturing talents, leading to a relative lack of AI talents. Despite this, Japanese companies remain highly competitive in the traditional robot field, accounting for 38% of global industrial robot production. However, some believe that this success has hindered Japan's strategic transformation into the humanoid robot field.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1853984986148874/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.