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According to the Hong Kong South China Morning Post website on April 28, one of the world's top robotics companies has announced that it will stop developing hydraulically driven humanoid robots and focus on making electric robots - an area where Chinese technology companies are increasingly dominant.
Recently, the US company Boston Dynamics released a video announcing the retirement of its hydraulic humanoid robot "Atlas". "Atlas" was known for its agility and acrobatic movements that were not always successful, and once attracted the attention of the world.
Immediately afterwards, Boston Dynamics launched a new all-electric successor to "Atlas" and emphasized its "real-world applications".
Although hydraulic robots have more powerful limbs, the hydraulic system is more complex and slow to react. Electric robots are lighter, more flexible, faster and cheaper.
According to reports, Boston Dynamics's shift from the original hydraulic drive to electric is also a strategic direction that Chinese companies have been pursuing for many years.
China's leading robot manufacturer Yushu Technology is making its own electric robots. Not long ago, the Hangzhou-based company released a video of its electric humanoid robot "H1" doing a backflip.
According to the website of Yushu Technology, "H1" uses an advanced power system and has the highest level in speed, strength, mobility and flexibility. It can move at a speed of 3.3 meters per second, setting a "world record".
At an international robot sports competition in 2023, Yushu Technology's "H1" ranked first in the obstacle course and free walking competition, beating the "Apollo" from Aptronik in the United States and the "Kangaroo" robot from Partner Robotics in Spain.
For many years, Boston Dynamics has been a heavyweight player in the field of humanoid robots. But independent technology blogger Ji Zhishuo (sound) pointed out that in the field of commercialization of humanoid robots, China seems to be at the forefront of technological progress. Electric robots are quieter, more efficient and have lower maintenance costs.
According to the "Humanoid Robot Technology Patent Analysis Report" released by the People's Daily Research Institute in November 2023, as of 2023, the number of applications for humanoid robot technology patents in China exceeded Japan, ranking first in the world.
This difference in technology adoption has also stimulated innovation among upstream suppliers. Chinese companies have filed 25,957 lidar-related patent applications since 2000, compared with 18,821 from U.S. companies and 13,939 from Japanese companies, according to data from Tokyo-based Patent Research.