Top 10 Trends in Humanoid Robots from the 2024 World Robot Conference: AI Takes Center Stage

On August 21, 2024, the World Robot Conference opened in Beijing, where Qiao Hong, Chairman of the World Robotics Cooperation Organization and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, presented the "Top Ten Trends in Humanoid Robotics." This report explores various avenues for the future of humanoid robots, including specialized components and materials, AI-enhanced designs, movement intelligence, multimodal large models, expansive datasets, embodied intelligence, bio-inspired designs, open-source communities, large-scale manufacturing, and ethical considerations regarding safety.

Qiao emphasized that advancements in AI technologies like neural networks, graphical syntax, and evolutionary algorithms will enable the automatic creation of humanoid robot modules—such as legs, arms, and torsos—tailored to specific scenarios and tasks. This allows for simultaneous optimization of form and control.

Furthermore, concerning multimodal large models for humanoid robots, Qiao noted their potential to integrate various types of information—such as voice, images, text, sensory signals, and 3D point clouds. This integration enhances robots' perception, cognition, and decision-making capabilities, significantly improving their adaptability in complex environments.

Importantly, Qiao urged the establishment of regulations to address the ethical and security aspects of humanoid robots. He stressed the need for legal frameworks to ensure that the design, development, and application of humanoid robots align with human ethical values, thereby safeguarding human rights and security in their use.