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Neck-length silicone masks lie sprawled on a table alongside
silicone arms and feet, while disembodied heads sit on display
and humanoid robots in various stages of construction stand
nearby. Drawings of robot designs adorn a wall.
"We have our own software and algorithm teams," said Ex-Robots
Chief Executive Li Boyang, adding that humanoid robots are the
most complex class of robotic products.
"There are many basic models and algorithms that are commonly
open source, which everyone uses. However, we concentrate more
on how to enable the AI to recognize and express expressions and
emotions."
As an Ex-Robots worker moves her head, smiles and sticks out her
tongue, a humanoid robot mimics her movement thanks to tiny
motors installed in several spaces in its head.
"We are also working on the foundation model. The model we're
making is multi-modal and capable of emotional expression. It
can perceive the surrounding environment and produce appropriate
facial feedback," Li said.
Ex-Robots said it takes from two weeks to a month to produce a
humanoid robot, with prices ranging from 1.5 million yuan
($207,000) to 2 million yuan.
The main purpose of the company's robots so far is for display
in museums, one of which Ex-Robots has housed in the same
building as its factory.
Looking ahead, Li believes humanoid robots will have a bigger
role to play in the healthcare and education industries.
"Psychological counselling and health are certainly future
application scenarios. We are currently conducting related
research, such as auxiliary treatment and preliminary screening
for emotional and psychological disorders," he said.
"Moreover, I believe that emotional interaction has broader
applications in service fields, such as those aimed at
children."
($1 = 7.2532 Chinese yuan renminbi)
(Reporting by Xiaoyu Yin and Florence Lo in Dalian; Writing by
Anne Marie Roantree; Editing by Christopher Cushing)
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