China tech startup launches humanoid robot at Shanghai AI event

Fourier Intelligence, a Chinese tech startup specializing in rehabilitation robotics and artificial intelligence, on Thursday unveiled its first-generation humanoid robot at the ongoing World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai.

The Shanghai-based company is venturing into general robotics in an attempt to cash in on the huge market opportunities in the coming years.

Standing 1.65 meters tall and weighing 55 kg, the robot, named GR-1, is able to walk at 5 km per hour and carry a load of up to 50 kg, the company said. With human-like motion control, it can walk bipedally, avoid obstacles, ascend and descend a slope with stability, and withstand shocks.

With the help of cognitive intelligence provided by ChatGPT-like tools, the robot is capable of interacting with humans while performing a variety of movements and tasks.

"This shift is comparable to the transition from a desktop computer to a personal laptop, and then to a smartphone," said Gu Jie, founder and CEO of Fourier Intelligence. "General-purpose humanoid robots will gradually become a mainstream segment of the industry."

General-purpose humanoid robots can be used in an array of scenarios including industrial production, rehabilitative care, scientific research and household service.

Fourier Intelligence said it is exploring to deploy this device in fields such as disaster relief and response, senior care and household service.

The startup kicked off the humanoid robot program in 2019 after acquiring underlying technologies in fields like sensors and bionic structures.