Unitree developing AI system to let humanoid robots improve themselves

Unitree Robotics is developing a “self-evolving” feedback loop designed to allow humanoid robots to write code, run simulations and improve their real-world performance independently, founder Wang Xingxing said, in a move that mirrors a broader push towards “self-improving” artificial intelligence.

Speaking on Thursday at a physical AI conference hosted by Unitree in Hangzhou, Wang unveiled the project, dubbed “Unitree Rehearsal”, which he called the company’s most important initiative of the year.

The project sought to shift robotics development away from labour-intensive manual programming towards a continuous, autonomous feedback loop, he said. Under the system in development, AI would search research papers, write code and test it in simulations before running trials on physical robots.

While humans could still help assess performance and provide feedback, Wang said the ultimate goal was to create an automated cycle that could exponentially accelerate the development of robotics algorithms.