A new humanoid robot out of China can change its own battery, marking another step toward fully autonomous machines capable of working 24/7.
Meet the Walker S2 from UBTech Robotics, a Shenzhen-based maker of humanoid and service models. The robot detects when its battery is low, and can autonomously navigate to a charging station and replace it with a fully juiced unit in less than three minutes — no annoying, sleep-dependent humans required.
A new video from the company shows the bipedal Walker S2 ambling over to a charging station and removing its battery pack from its upper back with its robo-arms. It puts the depleted unit in the charger, replaces it with another, fully charged one and heads off, presumably to keep working. UBTech touts one of Walker S2’s advantages as “continuous operations across dynamic industrial scenarios.”
“Imagine a humanoid robot that walks as you do, and never stops working,” the company teases. It says the S2 is “coming soon,” but hasn’t yet provided a more specific timeframe.
UBTech announces the Walker S2 as increasingly agile and multifunctional humanoids march out of robotics labs worldwide with promises to take on domestic chores and caregiving responsibilities and revolutionize workflows in factories and warehouses. With increased investor interest in and rapid innovation, analysts predict walking, talking humanoids could commonly walk among us within a decade.
“The infrastructure needed to deliver humanoid robots at scale is beginning to emerge,” Rosalie Chen, a senior analyst at research group Third Bridge,” wrote in May. “While high costs and supply chain challenges mean the widespread commercial deployment of humanoid robots is still likely three to five years away, momentum is increasing as the U.S. and China vie for dominance.”
UBTech Robotics is a major player in the Chinese humanoid-robotics space, with others including Agibot and Unitree. Among the most recognized U.S. names in the space are Agility Robotics, Boston Robotics, Figure AI and Tesla. UBTech first unveiled its Walker robot butler in 2018 at CES, where conference-goers watched it climb stairs and kick a soccer ball. Last year, the company debuted the Walker S1, which is already working in auto production lines at major automakers.
In May, UBTech inked a deal with Chinese telecom giant Huawei to boost adoption of humanoid robots across Chinese factories and homes. As part of the partnership, Huawei will contribute its expertise in AI processors to a UBTech innovation center focused on “embodied intelligence.” That term refers to artificial intelligence that exists in a physical body, such as a humanoid robot’s, learning from its environment and adjusting its behavior accordingly.