Reuters review: China is accelerating research on humanoid robots for military use

(Central News Agency, Taipei, 7th Comprehensive Foreign News Report) Reuters reviewed more than 100 Chinese military procurement announcements, academic studies, patents, official publications, government records and defense company information and found that China is accelerating research on the military use of humanoid robots and plans to eventually deploy these robots in wartime.

Relevant work was further promoted last year and this year, focusing on robot perception, operation capabilities and training materials.

Reuters reported today that the Chinese People's Liberation Army's Eastern Theater Command released an artificial intelligence (AI)-generated video last December showing military robots such as humanoids and quadrupeds overwhelming Taiwan's defenses in a hypothetical future conflict.

In addition, in a paper published in August last year, researchers from the National University of Defense Technology of China described six "combat robots" (including humanoid robots, robot dogs or unmanned vehicles) working in groups with ground troops to clear out enemy-occupied buildings floor by floor and room by room. The urban warfare units simulated in this study used equipment that the author predicts may be put into use in the next 5 to 10 years.

Zhou Ruo-min, an analyst at the Taiwan National Defense Security Research Institute, said that if the balance, perception and endurance of humanoid robots are improved, they may be used in environments such as buildings, tunnels and ships. Their hands and feet can theoretically combine movement, climbing and operation capabilities; but for simpler reconnaissance or logistics tasks, quadruped, tracked or wheeled robots are usually cheaper and easier to deploy on a large scale.

According to BofA Global Research, Chinese manufacturers will account for approximately 95% of global humanoid robot shipments in 2025. This commercial dominance allows the PLA to develop military applications.

However, Reuters found no evidence that China has deployed armed humanoid robots into PLA combat units. These robots currently remain highly energy-hungry and unreliable outside of controlled demonstration environments.

Aaron Johnson, a professor of mechanical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University in the United States, said that the battlefield environment has many variables that will challenge the capabilities of robots in unpredictable ways.

Nor is China the only country exploring battlefield uses for humanoid robots.

The U.S. Army launched a competition last year to develop "militarized humanoid robot capabilities" that could eventually work side by side with soldiers. Potential tasks include reconnaissance, security protection, obstacle clearance, hazardous material handling, and performing attack and defense missions in urban terrain. It is expected that up to 10 selected teams will test their respective systems with US military experts this year, and the subsequent contract value can reach up to US$1.25 million.

However, in the field of bipedal and quadruped robots, the U.S. robotics industry still lags far behind China.