Chinese language expertise large Xiaomi – finest identified globally as one of many world’s largest smartphone makers – is testing humanoid robots in its electrical automobile manufacturing operations, in keeping with an organization weblog put up describing early experiments in a manufacturing facility surroundings.
The corporate says two humanoid robots have been deployed in an automotive meeting workstation the place they carried out a repetitive fastening process for a number of hours.
Xiaomi, which constructed its popularity in shopper electronics together with smartphones, tablets and sensible residence gadgets, has lately expanded aggressively into new applied sciences. In 2024 the corporate launched its first electrical automobile, the SU7 sedan, marking its entry into the extremely aggressive EV market.
The most recent experiment suggests Xiaomi can be exploring robotics – significantly humanoid robots – as a possible automation expertise for future manufacturing.
Xiaomi beforehand unveiled its CyberOne humanoid robotic (pictured on display screen beneath), and the corporate seems to be utilizing associated applied sciences because it experiments with humanoids in its EV manufacturing facility.
Humanoid robots examined on automotive meeting process
Within the experiment described by Xiaomi, the robots had been assigned to put in self-tapping nuts utilized in automotive elements.
The system reportedly achieved a 90.2 % success price throughout three hours of steady autonomous operation, whereas additionally assembly the manufacturing line’s 76-second cycle time requirement.
In keeping with the corporate, the robots picked self-tapping nuts from an automatic feeder and positioned them right into a tightening fixture earlier than the meeting station accomplished the fastening course of routinely.
The duty might sound easy, however Xiaomi says the mechanical particulars of the part make it difficult for robots.
The interior spline construction of the nut, variations in how it’s gripped, and magnetic attraction from the positioning pin can all disrupt alignment and trigger set up failures.
As the corporate explains, factories require “exact and dependable actions, with manufacturing cycles correct to the second”, which presents a serious hole between robotics experiments carried out in laboratories and real-world manufacturing.
“Within the lab, 1000’s of failed iterations may be carried out,” the corporate writes. “Factories demand exact and dependable actions.”
AI fashions and tactile sensing used for robotic management
Xiaomi says the robots depend on a number of internally developed AI applied sciences.
These embrace Xiaomi-Robotics-0, a big vision-language-action (VLA) mannequin designed to allow robots to interpret visible info and execute bodily duties.
One other system, known as TacRefineNet, offers haptic notion, permitting the robots to make use of tactile suggestions throughout manipulation duties.
The corporate says the system makes use of a data-driven, end-to-end management method mixed with reinforcement studying to enhance reliability in industrial environments.
The robotic additionally makes use of multimodal notion, integrating info from cameras, tactile sensors, and joint movement sensors.
Counting on visible notion alone may be unreliable in manufacturing facility environments as a result of lighting adjustments or occlusion, Xiaomi says, whereas tactile sensing alone may be affected by sudden contact with surrounding gear.
By combining each, the robotic can higher choose the state of the meeting course of.
Balancing stability and flexibility
For full-body management of the humanoid platform, Xiaomi says it combines classical optimization management strategies with reinforcement studying.
The optimization system ensures stability and security constraints, whereas the reinforcement studying controller has been skilled utilizing simulations involving hundreds of thousands of disturbances to assist the robotic preserve stability in sudden conditions.
This hybrid management system permits the robots to reply to disturbances whereas sustaining steady operation.
Early-stage experiments
Xiaomi describes the nut-installation process as step one in testing humanoid robots for automotive manufacturing, however acknowledges that vital challenges stay.
The important thing hurdle for wider deployment is reaching industrial-grade reliability and productiveness – particularly bettering manufacturing cycle time and yield price.
The corporate says extra pilot experiments are underneath means in different manufacturing facility stations, together with:
- a entrance emblem set up workstation
- a bathroom bin dealing with workstation
Additional updates on these deployments are anticipated later.
Rising curiosity in humanoid robots for manufacturing
Humanoid robots have attracted growing consideration in recent times as firms discover whether or not human-like machines may carry out complicated duties in factories, warehouses, and logistics operations.
A number of expertise firms – together with Tesla, Determine AI, and Chinese language robotics startups – are growing humanoid platforms aimed toward industrial use.
Xiaomi’s manufacturing facility trial suggests the corporate might also be exploring how humanoid robots may finally help in its personal manufacturing operations because it expands past smartphones into autos and different superior applied sciences.
Xiaomi launched its first manufacturing EV, the SU7 sedan, in 2024 and has since expanded its automotive ambitions – even unveiling a futuristic Imaginative and prescient Gran Turismo electrical hypercar idea (pictured above) – though it’s unclear which automobile was being assembled within the manufacturing facility the place the humanoid robots had been examined.
