Chinese robotic company aims brighter future
A broad range of technology and scientific processes were on show at
the World Robot Conference 2017 (WRC 2017), held at Beijing Etrong
International Conference and Exhibition Center, which ran for five days
from August 23.
A life-size robot replicating the appearance of Chinese basketball superstar Yao Ming, which could shoot hoops, was an invention to lead by example, being one of the most popular robotic displays at the conference.
Wu Jinting, chairman of Shanghai Hefu Holding (Group) Co Ltd, the company which brought seven robotic displays to the show, said the "Yao Ming" shooting robot achieved a technical breakthrough.
"Many leading foreign humanoid robots can speak like humans and do facial expressions, but few of them can actually make movements like our 'Yao Ming' can," he said during an exclusive interview with chinadaily.com.cn on the sideline of the conference.
He added Chinese robotic companies have also started showing their advantages at this year's show.
"Two years ago, when the conference was held for the first time, we were not confident," Wu said.
"For us, it was more like an open platform where we could broad our horizon and learn from foreign companies. But since the second WRC, we have achieved more precise positioning of ourselves and become more mature."
Wu added China's huge market has also given domestic enterprises confidence.
"We've realized we are also leading in some areas, and we have broader applications and products," he said.
"The conference, which is no longer a one-way learning platform, is a chance for us to communicate with foreign leading companies and work together to find a direction for the industry."
Weakness and task
Despite the high cost of research and development in robots and artificial intelligence, Hefu has not had much return in its robot business, according to Wu.
"We can see a few billion yuan a year in revenue from our robot-related businesses, such as smart homes; but the revenue directly from robots is little," he said, adding the biggest threshold in the market was price.
"High costs lead to high prices and a stiff price blocks masses of consumers from buying service robots. However, as long as we rely on expensive imports of core components of service robots, the costs would not be able to be reduced."
Wu said the prices of some imported core components, such as reducers, are dozens of times more expensive than domestic ones.
"At present, the core components made in domestics are behind imported ones in technical indicators and durability," he said.
"We are trying to solve this problem with our technologies and intellectual property rights, but it takes time and will slow down our industrialization rate."
However, Wu said he believes bottlenecks can be solved in three to five years as the government has attached great importance to the industry.
"The development of robots and the AI industry needs a good environment of policies, funds and talents, as well as markets," he said.
"Don't think about achieving quick success or getting instant benefits. We can only achieve the industrialization of service robots step-by-step, from the simple and useful products that are affordable and reliable."
Wu's idea echoes those of Zvi Shiller, chairman of the Israeli Robotics Association, who said the industry needs to start with the small and simple products as consumers lose their patience if robots come too late in the market
In his speech at the main forum of WRC 2017 on Aug 22, Shiller said it was necessary to let people try the small robotic products first, and then small ones can be components of the big and complex ones in the future.
"As every single function becomes mature, a complex function will be achieved; as every single product becomes low-cost, a composite product will cost low. This is the gradual process of robot's industrialization," he said.
China, the chaser and potential leader
Although his company was in the limelight at the conference, Wu said the charm of the robotic and AI industry was no one could predict who will be the real giants in the future.
"The industry is new whether in China or developed countries. Everyone, even the global internet giants such as Google, is exploring how to open the market and achieve industrialization," he said.
"With the deepening of industrialization, all companies, present or absent at the conference, have their opportunities."
Wu added China, having a strong market and improving AI technologies, was both a chaser and potential leader in the industry.
"While developed countries are leading the world in electronic information technologies and robot designs, we have broad applications and market feedbacks in China," he said.
"A big market means enormous vitality, which then enables the industry to adjust orientation and upgrade products according to the real demand."
Just like what has happened in mobile payments and online shopping, Wu said he believed China could overtake competitors on a bend in the application of an integrated technology of AI, big data and cloud computing.
"For example, one of our core R&D directions is to use AI technologies to solve long-term problems faced by traditional industries, such as coal, chemical, petroleum and construction industries," he said.
"We want the AI technologies to relieve the labor force from dangerous work environments, such as underground work, in the future to achieve production safety."
In addition, the Shanghai-based company has already taken steps to expand global.
At a large wine chateau purchased by Hefu in the region of Bordeaux, France, robots with AI technologies are involved in picking and screening grapes as well as brewing wine.
"There are many kinds of ways for Chinese robotic companies to go global, and the one we adopt is introducing our robots into the properties we purchased in foreign countries," Wu said.
"It can become our overseas base and serve as an example for other properties."
He added there were two directions for Chinese companies to go global.
"One is to introduce the low-priced robots that have simple but reliable functions to the markets in countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative; another is to use the high-end robots with price advantages to enter developed market," Wu said, adding Vietnam will be Hefu's next foreign destination.
Wu said he expects the robot business to account for more than 80 percent of the company's revenue in three years.
Originally seem on http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/tech/2017-08/28/content_31227426.htm
A life-size robot replicating the appearance of Chinese basketball superstar Yao Ming, which could shoot hoops, was an invention to lead by example, being one of the most popular robotic displays at the conference.
Wu Jinting, chairman of Shanghai Hefu Holding (Group) Co Ltd, the company which brought seven robotic displays to the show, said the "Yao Ming" shooting robot achieved a technical breakthrough.
"Many leading foreign humanoid robots can speak like humans and do facial expressions, but few of them can actually make movements like our 'Yao Ming' can," he said during an exclusive interview with chinadaily.com.cn on the sideline of the conference.
He added Chinese robotic companies have also started showing their advantages at this year's show.
"Two years ago, when the conference was held for the first time, we were not confident," Wu said.
"For us, it was more like an open platform where we could broad our horizon and learn from foreign companies. But since the second WRC, we have achieved more precise positioning of ourselves and become more mature."
Wu added China's huge market has also given domestic enterprises confidence.
"We've realized we are also leading in some areas, and we have broader applications and products," he said.
"The conference, which is no longer a one-way learning platform, is a chance for us to communicate with foreign leading companies and work together to find a direction for the industry."
Weakness and task
Despite the high cost of research and development in robots and artificial intelligence, Hefu has not had much return in its robot business, according to Wu.
"We can see a few billion yuan a year in revenue from our robot-related businesses, such as smart homes; but the revenue directly from robots is little," he said, adding the biggest threshold in the market was price.
"High costs lead to high prices and a stiff price blocks masses of consumers from buying service robots. However, as long as we rely on expensive imports of core components of service robots, the costs would not be able to be reduced."
Wu said the prices of some imported core components, such as reducers, are dozens of times more expensive than domestic ones.
"At present, the core components made in domestics are behind imported ones in technical indicators and durability," he said.
"We are trying to solve this problem with our technologies and intellectual property rights, but it takes time and will slow down our industrialization rate."
However, Wu said he believes bottlenecks can be solved in three to five years as the government has attached great importance to the industry.
"The development of robots and the AI industry needs a good environment of policies, funds and talents, as well as markets," he said.
"Don't think about achieving quick success or getting instant benefits. We can only achieve the industrialization of service robots step-by-step, from the simple and useful products that are affordable and reliable."
Wu's idea echoes those of Zvi Shiller, chairman of the Israeli Robotics Association, who said the industry needs to start with the small and simple products as consumers lose their patience if robots come too late in the market
In his speech at the main forum of WRC 2017 on Aug 22, Shiller said it was necessary to let people try the small robotic products first, and then small ones can be components of the big and complex ones in the future.
"As every single function becomes mature, a complex function will be achieved; as every single product becomes low-cost, a composite product will cost low. This is the gradual process of robot's industrialization," he said.
China, the chaser and potential leader
Although his company was in the limelight at the conference, Wu said the charm of the robotic and AI industry was no one could predict who will be the real giants in the future.
"The industry is new whether in China or developed countries. Everyone, even the global internet giants such as Google, is exploring how to open the market and achieve industrialization," he said.
"With the deepening of industrialization, all companies, present or absent at the conference, have their opportunities."
Wu added China, having a strong market and improving AI technologies, was both a chaser and potential leader in the industry.
"While developed countries are leading the world in electronic information technologies and robot designs, we have broad applications and market feedbacks in China," he said.
"A big market means enormous vitality, which then enables the industry to adjust orientation and upgrade products according to the real demand."
Just like what has happened in mobile payments and online shopping, Wu said he believed China could overtake competitors on a bend in the application of an integrated technology of AI, big data and cloud computing.
"For example, one of our core R&D directions is to use AI technologies to solve long-term problems faced by traditional industries, such as coal, chemical, petroleum and construction industries," he said.
"We want the AI technologies to relieve the labor force from dangerous work environments, such as underground work, in the future to achieve production safety."
In addition, the Shanghai-based company has already taken steps to expand global.
At a large wine chateau purchased by Hefu in the region of Bordeaux, France, robots with AI technologies are involved in picking and screening grapes as well as brewing wine.
"There are many kinds of ways for Chinese robotic companies to go global, and the one we adopt is introducing our robots into the properties we purchased in foreign countries," Wu said.
"It can become our overseas base and serve as an example for other properties."
He added there were two directions for Chinese companies to go global.
"One is to introduce the low-priced robots that have simple but reliable functions to the markets in countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative; another is to use the high-end robots with price advantages to enter developed market," Wu said, adding Vietnam will be Hefu's next foreign destination.
Wu said he expects the robot business to account for more than 80 percent of the company's revenue in three years.
Originally seem on http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/tech/2017-08/28/content_31227426.htm
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