Zhang Yu

JeniZhang13@163.com

A FULL-SIZE humanoid robot, said to be the industry’s first research-grade humanoid robot under 300,000 yuan (US$41,437), was jointly launched by Shenzhen-based robotics firm UBTECH and Beijing-based National and Local Co-built Embodied Artificial Intelligence Robotics Innovation Center on Wednesday.

The robot, Tien Kung, is now available for preorder at a starting price of 299,000 yuan, and deliveries are set to commence in the second quarter, UBTECH said Thursday.

The 170-cm-tall Tien Kung features a highly biomimetic torso design and anthropomorphic motion control.

With up to 20 degrees of freedom across its body, it can maintain stable movement at a speed of 10km/h. Capable of navigating complex, varied terrain with ease, including slopes, steps, sand, and snow, the robot can also withstand impact disturbances.

Additionally, the robot is equipped with the universal embodied AI platform “Hui Si Kai Wu,” developed by the innovation center, and can offer comprehensive humanoid robotics research solutions to universities and research institutions.

The robot’s main body is designed for seamless expansion and can be equipped with essential core components such as depth cameras, LiDAR, NVIDIA’s Orin supercomputer, six-axis force sensors, seven-degrees-of-freedom collaborative arms, and five-finger dexterous hands.

According to UBTECH, Tien Kung has undergone two iterations of development, achieving significant advancements in areas such as embodied perception, interaction, and behavior.

The company has also established a humanoid robot research and co-creation fund to accelerate innovation in scientific research and application scenarios for humanoid robots.

The fund, seeded with an initial investment of 10 million yuan, is open to global universities and research institutions to formulate national and industry-level standards for humanoid robotics and carry out projects, competitions, and other special initiatives aimed at fostering research and collaboration.