They can perform dance moves and show
off roundhouse kicks or maybe offer a
ride.
>> Hi.
>> Robots, it seems, are everywhere in
China in all shapes, sizes, and speeds
with companies rolling out more powerful
humanoid resources.
This robot conference is show of intense
competition among startups here.
And happening alongside it, the second
annual humanoid games in Beijing.
Where nearly 700 teams are expected to
compete for gold, more than double the
size of last year's. It's all a sign of
how seriously China is betting on
robotics as the next industrial
revolution. These days, there's a lot of
hype around this company, Unitree.
That's one of the world's biggest makers
of humanoids and robot dogs. The company
has just started trading publicly on the
Shanghai Stock Exchange and shares
popped 500%
on day one.
Its latest model may explain why. A
humanoid called Superman that can jump 6
and 1/2 feet and claims to sprint faster
than world record holder Usain Bolt,
although it crashed into a wall right
after crossing the finish line.
Still, it's leaps and bounds ahead of
where sporting humanoids were last year
when we attended China's first ever
robot games.
>> This event is being billed as the first
of its kind.
>> Teams competing in soccer, track events,
and tasks like moving luggage.
>> There are hundreds of robot companies
here in China making machines that can
do backflips or run faster than people
if that's what you want your robot to
do. But a big focus here at the World
Robot Conference in Beijing is on robots
that can do tasks that are, well,
mundane or boring even by human
standards.
>> Daily grind jobs like folding laundry,
picking up toys, or sorting packages in
a warehouse. Practical work that humans
might not mind giving up. Or at least,
that's the way robot developers here see
the future.
>> So, we don't want to replace the first
person. We we want to be people to to
have better job, to have a better life.
>> The challenge here is turning
eye-catching kicks and moves into actual
productivity, then scaling it
commercially. Low-cost manufacturing
here has allowed China's industry to
pull ahead. Hefty government subsidies
have helped out, too.
Robots are not without some glitches
that come with real questions about
safety. Remember when this one kicked a
child?
This year, there are no robots made in
the United States, and none of what's on
display here in China will be finding
its way to the US anytime soon. The
Trump administration banning imports of
new foreign-made quadruped and humanoid
robots, citing national security and
privacy concerns. A move that heavily
targets China, which, according to
consulting firm IDC, accounts for 82% of
the world's humanoid shipments.
>> There are risks to the approach that the
US is taking, but I think their hearts
are in the right place. They want to
build a supply chain. They want to
reshore manufacturing. And most
importantly, they are worried about
national security risks.
>> After the recent ban, IDC estimates
humanoid sales by US companies could
drop 58% by 2030 under a worst-case
scenario. We reached out to the White
House for comment and haven't heard
back. FCC Chair Brendan Carr telling NBC
News when the regulation was announced.
>> So, one of the upsides of these action
is not just national security,
but it is helping to re-industrialize
this country.
>> China's leadership has made robotics a
national priority. As the US moves to
restrict technology, China is already
putting the machines to work. Janice
Mackey Frayer, NBC News, Beijing.
>> We thank you for watching and remember
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