Shortly after the release of Alien: Romulus – the new film in a science fiction series that has often depicted artificial intelligence as ruthlessly calculating – a decidedly more optimistic mood filled the halls at the World Robot Conference in the southeast of Beijing. There, the models on display prompted more academic conversations in lieu of the films’ life-or-death scenarios. One of the more burning questions, looming larger as reality appears to be converging rapidly with fantasy: how close are we to incorporating humanoid robots, or androids, into our daily routines? “Humanoid robots are often seen in industrial settings, but the more important factor for [them] entering everyday life is their costs need to drop to a level that the general public can afford,” said Yao Yunchang, hardware director at the Humanoid Robot Innovation Centre in the eastern province of Zhejiang. Yao’s centre unveiled a new model at the conference, which even at prices ranging from 700,000 yuan (US$98,260) to 800,000 yuan has already seen some sales. Most purchasers were manufacturers, but supermarkets have also expressed interest. “We anticipate that humanoid robots could see large-scale applications in industrial settings as early as next year or the year after. We should see some trial deployments in service scenarios across various regions as early as next year,” Yao said. “This could lead to a reduction in costs … given the pace of technological iteration, it’s likely we’ll see robots in households within five to 10 years.” During the conference – held from August 21 to Sunday – a total of 27 models were showcased, the highest number in the event’s history. More than 30 companies involved in the manufacture of androids made an appearance.

Full feature : China’s humanoid robot market, fuelled by policy and investment, could become enormous sector as technology matures.