In China, humanoid robots are serving as Lunar New Year entertainment, with their manufacturers pitching their song-and-dance skills to the general public as well as potential customers, investors and government officials.
On Sunday, Shanghai-based robotics start-up Agibot Innovation Technology Co (智元機器人) live-streamed an almost hour-long variety show featuring its robots dancing, performing acrobatics and magic, lip-syncing ballads and performing in comedy sketches. Other Agibot humanoid robots waved from an audience section.
An estimated 1.4 million people watched on the Chinese streaming platform Douyin (抖音). Agibot, which called the promotional stunt “the world’s first robot-powered gala,” did not have an immediate estimate for total viewership.
Photo: Tingshu Wang, Reuters
The show ran a week ahead of China’s annual Spring Festival gala to be aired by state television, an event that has become an important — if unlikely — venue for Chinese robot makers to show off their success.
A squad of 16 full-size humanoids from Unitree Technology Co (宇樹科技) joined human dancers in performing at China Central Television’s gala last year, drawing stunned accolades from millions of viewers.
Less than three weeks later, Unitree founder Wang Xingxing (王興興) was invited to a high-profile symposium chaired by Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平). The Hangzhou-based robotics firm has since been preparing for a potential initial public offering.
This year’s CCTV gala will include participation by four humanoid robot start-ups, Unitree, Galbot Co (銀河通用機器人), Noetix Robotics Technology Co (松延動力) and MagicLab Robotics Technology Co (魔法原子), the companies and broadcaster have said.
Agibot’s gala employed over 200 robots. The company, which says its humanoid robots are designed for a range of applications, including in education, entertainment and factories, plans to launch an initial public offering in Hong Kong, Reuters has reported.
State-run Securities Times said Agibot had opted out of the CCTV gala in order to focus spending on research and development.
The company demonstrated two of its robots to Xi during a visit in April last year.
US billionaire Elon Musk, who has pivoted automaker Tesla Inc toward a focus on artificial intelligence and the Optimus humanoid robot, has said the only competitive threat he faces in robotics is from Chinese firms.
Like those rivals, Musk has also used stunts to promote Optimus, rolling out human-directed robots as bartenders at an event in 2024.
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