Quanta Computer Inc (廣達) chairman Barry Lam (林百里) yesterday expressed a downbeat view about the prospects of humanoid robots, given high manufacturing costs and a lack of target customers.
Despite rising demand and high expectations for humanoid robots, high research-and-development costs and uncertain profitability remain major concerns, Lam told reporters following the company’s annual shareholders’ meeting in Taoyuan.
“Since it seems a bit unworthy to use such high-cost robots to do household chores, I believe robots designed for specific purposes would be more valuable and present a better business opportunity,” Lam said
Photo: CNA
Instead of investing in humanoid robots, Quanta has opted to invest in robotic arms over the past few years, he said.
People are “aiming too high” for humanoid robots, he added.
“While several companies have been putting resources into this [humanoid robots], none have created a sizeable business yet,” Lam said, adding that the price-performance ratio is still low.
On quantum computers, Lam said the technology still faces major challenges, as its processing differs from traditional computers.
The market for the computers is still in its early stages, but the technology is promising for the medical and industrial fields, he said.
Quanta in February invested US$35 million in US-based quantum chip developer Rigetti Computing and is evaluating the possibility of collaborating with the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology to develop quantum computers, he added.
Asked about the “made in the US” trend following US President Donald Trump’s announcement of “reciprocal” tariffs in April, Lam said the company is confident about further capacity expansion in the US in a bid to meet growing demand, given Quanta’s extensive production experience and high client satisfaction.
Regarding the outlook for consumer electronics in the second half, Quanta vice chairman C.C. Leung (梁次震) said that it remains uncertain.
“Even Trump himself would not be sure,” Leung said.
Quanta shareholders approved a cash dividend of NT$13 per share, the highest in the company’s history. That represented a payout ratio of 83.93 percent based on the company’s earnings per share of NT$15.49 last year.
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