repeating tasks until boredom

Despite the great achievements that They have been harvesting some humanoid robots In recent years, in terms of the naturalness of their movements and household chores, they are still green enough to be put on sale to the mass public. Firstly because of the price, and secondly because what they say they do, they still do little effectively. teaching. In China they have already realized that, in order for them to be as effective as we hope, we have to teach them how to do things. In this sense, the country has already launched a network of more than 40 public training centers where human workers, equipped with virtual reality headsets and motion sensors, repeat everyday actions hundreds of times a day such as opening a microwave, folding clothes or tightening screws. The objective is none other than to generate the movement data that humanoid robots need to learn to perform these tasks autonomously. National priority. The Chinese government has identified embodied artificial intelligence, which is AI in physical form, as a national priority, which has sparked a wave of investment in robotics. The country is already home to more than 150 companies dedicated to humanoid robots and seeks to position itself as a world power in a sector that Goldman Sachs esteem could reach $38 billion in 2035. Why do they need so much human data. Unlike large language models, which are trained with texts available on the Internet, robots require much more complex data sets: visual information, joint movements, rotations and adaptations to unpredictable environments. And, just as they explain Since Rest of World, this information cannot be easily extracted from the web. Chinese local governments are addressing this shortage with state-funded facilities, typically built by public administrations and operated by robotics companies. How training works. The middle highlights the case of Kim, a 20-year-old computer science student who works as a trainer at a startup in Shanghai. “We call ourselves cyber workers. It’s a decent job, if a little boring,” according to account to the middle. In the country’s largest training center, located in the Shijingshan district of Beijing and developed in collaboration with the Leju company, they work with 1.66 meter high “Kuafu” robots. Just like explains In the middle, each robot is assigned two human trainers who, using motion capture devices, record between 200 daily action sequences. An example: Teaching a robot to place a frying pan on a stove required 1,250 repetitions, according to details People’s Daily Online. The spaces where robots “study”. The most complete installations replicate real-world scenarios on a full scale. These can range from automobile assembly lines and logistics warehouses to domestic kitchens and bedrooms. The Beijing center occupies more than 10,000 square meters and offers 16 specific scenarios, including environments simulating automobile factories, smart homes and nursing homes, as exposes the middle. At another facility in Hubei province, nearly 100 human-controlled humanoid robots practice movements such as ironing or wiping tables hundreds of times a day. “It’s like teaching children to walk with a lot of practice,” counted a spokesperson for the project spoke to the media. It is not the most efficient method. Several robotics researchers still debate whether recording human movements, a laborious and slow process, is really the best way to create fully intelligent robots. Ken Goldberg, a robotics researcher at the University of California at Berkeley, declared to Rest of World that this is “a noble effort and there is a lot of hope right now that this will work, but it is slow. Even if you have hundreds of people working, it will take a long time to get enough data.” Yesovercapacity. China’s National Development and Reform Commission issued a warning in November about the risks of a bubble in the humanoid robotics industry. Marco Wang, analyst at Interact Analysis, account told Rest of World that “there are some potential bubbles” because the model may generate overcapacity. While mass commercial use still seems distant, some of the largest orders come from the public sector, such as the case of the company UBTech Robotics, which sold humanoid robots worth $80 million to three data collection centers in China, according to account the middle. The first “graduated” robots are already working. Robots trained at these centers have acquired more than 20 operational skills, with success rates greater than 95%, according to they count from People’s Daily Online. Some are already deployed, handling materials at factories for state-owned automaker China FAW Group, working as couriers for Shenzhen Capital Group or carrying out inspections at electrical facilities. Images | Shijingshan Robotic Center In Xataka | China is winning the humanoid robot race. The problem is that this race doesn’t really exist.

China is intractable in the electric car race, and is on its way to repeating with load trucks

The conquest of China in terms of electric cars has been noted over the last years, with A special thrust in Europe that has put the entire industry in suspense. But they are not the only type of vehicle with which it intends to conquer the globe. They also have a great presence their merchandise trucks. And is that Byd, manufacturer who has broken like nobody in the automobile sector, already sends electric charge trucks to Italy, Poland, Spain, and even Mexico, along with eight other Chinese companies that dominate the global market. Chinese brands monopolized 80% of the 90,000 world sales of electric charge trucks last year, according to The International Energy Agency. Why does this matter now. As they share from Rest of the WorldCO₂ emissions of heavy vehicles have grown almost 3% annually between 2000 and 2018, and trucks represent 80% of that increase. Its enormous environmental impact converts the electrification of merchandise transport into a key piece for global climatic objectives. And China has understood that there is a huge business opportunity. A domain with origin. China’s advantage does not arise from nothing. According to They share From the middle, it is born from a 15 -year government campaign in which commercial vehicles deal with as national priority, forcing manufacturers to produce electric vehicles as a percentage of their total production. Meanwhile, Western countries have limited themselves to offering tax credits to individual buyers. The result? In China, electric trucks They knead 22% of the heavy vehicle market In the first half of 2025. In Europe they represent only 1% of sales, and in India only 280 long -distance electrical trucks from a total of 834,578 commercial vehicles were sold. Profitability is no longer a promise. Chinese fleet operators report that their electric trucks cost between 10% and 26% less operate than diesel models, according to The commercial consultant Vehicle World. Catl, the largest worldwide electrical battery manufacturer, assures that its batteries reduce transport costs by 35% per ton-kilometer. These data have led to manufacturers such as Sany Group to predict That between 70% and 80% of the Chinese heavy truck market will be electric in a few years. The solution of the recharge problem. A typical load truck needs approximately a megavatio-hora of battery capacity, ten times what a Tesla Model 3. While in Europe truckers have mandatory breaks of 45 minutes every 4.5 hours (A time that can be used to load the truck), in markets such as Brazil or India commercial drivers usually drive between 10 and 18 hours in a row. China has resolved this dilemma through battery exchange technology, which they already use almost 40% of its heavy electric trucks. West goes far behind. Volvo, the main manufacturer in the West, barely has delivered 5,000 electric trucks In 50 countries. The case of South Africa illustrates its difficulties, because after two years in the market, Volvo has sold only Six unitstoo few to justify the local assembly. Importing them would have triggered prices in a country without buying subsidies. Meanwhile, Tesla promised Your semi truck In 2017, he delivered it in testimonial quantities to Pepsi in 2022 and practically It has disappeared for high component and cost failures. The global expansion is already underway. Byd It has facilities To produce electric load trucks throughout China and plan international assembly plants. Beiqi Foton already sends trucks to EU markets despite possible tariffs. In June, Chinese manufacturer Windrose announced plans to Establish a factory in GeorgiaUSA. “Chinese companies will adapt their entrance to the market strategies: supplying components where regulations require local manufacturing, establishing direct sales in other places,” Explain Ravi Gadepalli, founder of the Transit Intelligence consultant. The key is in capital. Commercial transport is dominated by small operators with very tight margins that lack capital for vehicles that cost twice as their diesel equivalents, although operating costs end up compensating. “Financing is the main obstacle in India, while in China the government invested significant capital to boost the sector,” Point out Gadepalli. However, the same expert warns that “it is very likely that Chinese electric truck manufacturers revolutionize the global cargo truck market. We have already seen it with cars and buses, and it is likely to continue.” He does not lack reason either as far as electric buses are concerned, because it is Another market in which China dominates. It still remains. The global heavy electric truck market will reach only 5,000 million dollars by 2030, a tiny fraction of the 6 billion electric vehicle market, according to The Grand View Research analysis firm. Most sales will be light commercial vehicles for urban cast, according to Share The medium, since long -distance trucks will continue to generate more emissions. Although seeing how unstoppable China is in the electric vehicle, the given estimates may underestimate the country’s growth rate in this sector. Cover image | Daniel Fikri In Xataka | China and Europe do not trust each other in electric car. And someone is taking advantage of it: Türkiye

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