A report on the current state of humanoid robot development. Japan’s advantage in core components and China’s dependence on subsidies have been highlighted, while practical deployment is expected to take roughly 10 years.
The global robotics industry is entering a new phase, driven by the maturation of industrial robots and advances in AI, with humanoid robots attracting attention as the next frontier. However, stable execution of advanced movements such as walking and grasping objects requires multiple technologies to work simultaneously, and practical deployment has not progressed at this stage. Given the high level of difficulty, views are spreading worldwide that practical deployment will take time.
The United States leads in AI and control technology, while Japan is considered likely to lead in durability and safety, drawing on its accumulated industrial robotics expertise and advantage in core components. However, no robot that can be used in the field over an extended period yet exists, and practical deployment is believed to require approximately 10 years. In China, interest generated by demonstration videos continues, while startups face a structure dependent on subsidies, with challenges to market entry being identified.
Looking at the internal component structure of robots, Japanese companies virtually monopolize precision reducers, the core components of robots, while most of the components corresponding to their muscles, nerves and sensory organs are also made in Japan and have become global standards. Reasons cited for China’s inability to produce these components domestically include insufficient micron-level machining technology, the impact of patent networks, the lack of a culture of durability testing and the failure of established industrial robot companies to enter the market.