- The center will bring together researchers and companies to develop robotics technologies and accelerate commercial deployment
- Anhui has more than 660 companies across the robotics supply chain, with local firms spanning industrial robots, humanoids and autonomous retail
Anhui Province has launched a new embodied AI innovation center to connect research institutions with robotics companies and speed up the commercialization of new technologies.
The Anhui Embodied Intelligence Innovation Center was unveiled on October 10 at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) in Hefei, the provincial capital.
The center will be led by USTC’s Institute of Humanoid Robotics, with support from the provincial industry and information technology department. Research institutions and companies will also participate.
The center will focus on shared technology challenges across the embodied AI industry, including turning research results into products and testing them in real-world settings.
It will also support talent development and cooperation among companies, universities, investors and public-sector organizations.
From research to deployment
The center will draw on research and talent from USTC’s Institute of Humanoid Robotics, as well as an alumni network of about 300 companies in the global embodied AI sector and resources from its industry partners.
Zhang Shiwu (张世武), deputy dean of USTC’s School of Engineering Science and executive director of the institute, said the launch aligned with China’s plans to develop embodied AI as a future industry and with Anhui’s manufacturing ambitions.
The institute plans to work on technologies including flexible tactile skins, expressive robots, dexterous humanoid hands and lightweight drive systems.
It also aims to develop humanoid robots for applications such as rehabilitation and improve robots’ ability to perform delicate tasks in industrial settings.
A growing robotics base
Anhui ranked fifth nationally in overall embodied AI industry competitiveness, according to a study cited by local authorities. The province has more than 660 companies across the robotics supply chain.
Local players include Efort (埃夫特), a Wuhu-based industrial robot maker; AiMOGA Robotics (奇瑞墨家机器人), Chery’s humanoid robotics business, which has delivered more than 2,000 robots cumulatively; and Hefei-based Zerith (零次方机器人), whose robots are operating unmanned retail stores in commercial districts.
The new center is intended to help such companies draw on shared research and technical resources while giving researchers more opportunities to test their work in commercial settings.
Header image credit: Zerith
