BEIJING: Eerie robotic workers are beginning to take over at the world’s largest electric car manufacturer. Chinese automotive giant BYD Auto has introduced a workforce of 500 humanoid robots, raising concerns that these programmed bots could soon fill millions of vacant jobs.
Captivating footage showcases the humanoid robots, known as “Walker S1,” navigating factories in China. The robots can be seen inspecting BYD cars during production and transporting heavy boxes around expansive warehouses, all without any humans present.
Designed by Chinese industrial firm UBTech, these robots specialize in manual labor, making them suitable for various workplace tasks. UBTech has already received over 500 orders for these humanoids, according to reports from Interesting Engineering. This significant rollout aims to address China’s manufacturing labor shortage.
Car manufacturers in the region are projected to face a daunting deficit of around 30 million workers by 2025, as noted in a 2017 report by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. Many believe that introducing robots could serve as a quick solution to this growing issue, as they can be programmed to operate efficiently in large warehouses.
Additionally, global companies are increasingly looking to robotic workforces to streamline operations, hoping for more efficient workdays that are less affected by human error, injuries, and absenteeism. UBTech, China’s leading robot manufacturer, aims to reduce human labor in factories to just 10 percent in the future. Tan Min, UBTech’s chief brand officer, states that this shift will allow humans to focus on more complex tasks like planning, collaboration, and tool management.
The UBTech Walker S1 is the latest humanoid robot to be introduced. Standing at an impressive 5 feet 6 inches and weighing 76 kg, these robots are designed to perform a range of factory tasks, including visual quality inspections, carrying heavy equipment, tightening screws, and even assembling and sorting items.
Prototype footage released by UBTech demonstrates the robots carrying 16.3 kg boxes on a treadmill and showcases their ability to bend over and pick up shipments for transport across facilities. They are programmed to understand the intent behind various tasks and are equipped to execute them efficiently.
