(Deutsche Welle Chinese website) China held the World Humanoid Robot Games last month and broke Usain Bolt's 100-meter record. Two days later, the People's Liberation Army Daily called on researchers to "focus their scientific research on battlefield problems" and "let the 'robots' in the laboratory truly become 'combatants' capable of winning wars."
Reuters reviewed more than a hundred documents, including Chinese military bidding documents, academic studies, patents, official publications, government records and materials from defense companies. The conclusion is that China is accelerating research on humanoid robots for military use. Some military agencies test the adaptability of humanoid robots to battlefield conditions and study the possibility of humanoid robots operating together with troops.
According to data from Bank of America Global Research, Chinese manufacturers will account for about 95% of global humanoid robot deliveries in 2025. This also provides the Chinese military with an advantage in conducting military research on humanoid robots.
China's research into robots for defense also highlights the rapid evolution of global military technology. In the Russia-Ukraine war, semi-autonomous drones used artificial intelligence to cruise and target, while robots carried supplies and evacuated the wounded. Around the world, autonomous weapons systems are attracting the attention of militaries.
China's Ministry of National Defense and the National University of Defense Technology did not respond to Reuters' requests for interviews.
Reuters stated that there is no evidence that the Chinese military has deployed humanoid robot armed forces. Robots are still highly energy-intensive and have poor reliability except for demonstrations under human control. Aaron Johnson, a professor of mechanical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, said that the battlefield environment is highly variable and unpredictable, which poses a challenge to the capabilities of robots.
urban combat
Reuters quoted a research report from the Xi'an Test Center of the National University of Defense Technology in August last year, which described a combat scenario: six "combat robots" - including humanoid robots, robot dogs or unmanned vehicles, will be assigned to two attack teams. The robots work with ground forces to clear enemy-occupied buildings floor by floor, room by room. The study predicts that such equipment will be available within 5-10 years.
Zhou Ruomin, a researcher at Taiwan's National Defense and Security Research Institute, said that improvements in humanoid robots' balance, perception and endurance mean that they may be used for tasks inside buildings, tunnels, and ship hulls. Its hands and feet can theoretically combine mobility, climbing and manipulation abilities.
In July last year, an article in the People's Liberation Army Daily stated that the development path of scientifically designed military humanoid robots was in which the types of tasks undertaken gradually evolved from auxiliary combat to main combat. "Considering aspects such as safety of use and technical feasibility, humanoid robots are mainly used to perform non-confrontational support tasks in low-threat environments at the initial stage; after entering the advanced stage, they are gradually upgraded to replace soldiers in direct combat missions with the enemy in strong confrontation environments, and eventually develop into main battle equipment."
The article also mentions "the issue of giving robots the right to fire", saying "distinguish between targets, space, time, degree of damage, etc., formulate detailed combat rules, and flexibly empower them as needed. For example: requiring humanoid robots to find an enemy's animate target and subject to manual verification before opening fire, or to provide a warning first, and then fire after the warning is invalid; humanoid robots are required to distinguish between animate and inanimate targets, and choose appropriate killing methods and levels of damage, etc."
In December, the People's Liberation Army's Eastern Theater Command released an AI-generated video showing military robots - including humanoids and quadrupeds - breaching Taiwan's defenses in a fictional future conflict.
China is not the only country working on humanoid robots for the military. Last year, the U.S. military held a competition to improve "military humanoid robot capabilities" that could eventually fight alongside soldiers. The U.S. military said potential roles for military humanoid robots include reconnaissance, security, obstacle clearance, hazardous materials operations, and offensive and defensive missions in urban areas. This year, 10 finalists will test their systems with subsequent contracts worth $1.25 million.
The Pentagon and the U.S. military did not respond to requests for comment.
Into the battlefield?
This year, research and development of humanoid robots has expanded from military research institutions to the defense industry. The Fuxi robot manufactured by the state-owned China Ordnance Industry Group is capable of sentry duties, all-weather reconnaissance, intelligent patrols and the ability to undertake dangerous missions.
Malcolm Davis, a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said that within 5-10 years, humanoid robots may be practical on the battlefield.
In March this year, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of National Defense stated that China has always believed that military applications of artificial intelligence should remain human-led.
In November last year, Wang Yonghua, a researcher at the Institute of War Studies of the Chinese Academy of Military Sciences, published an article in Guangming Daily, saying that "military applications of humanoid robots have a longer way to go." "However, the intelligent evolution of warfare is accelerating, and the demand for intelligent unmanned combat is urgent and strong. Once major breakthroughs are made in technology, production costs are significantly reduced, and industrial production is scaled up, humanoid robots will continue to be put into the battlefield."
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