A life-size humanoid robot known as Qinglong made its debut at the 2024 World AI Conference (WAIC) in east China's Shanghai Municipality on Thursday, impressing attendees with its wide range of motion and human-like capabilities.
The open-source general-purpose robot is one of the latest innovations to be displayed at the WAIC 2024 which is scheduled from Thursday to Sunday, with 500 exhibitors, including global giants like Tesla and Microsoft, showcasing more than 1,500 innovative products.
Standing at 1.82 meters tall and weighing 80 kilograms, the humanoid robot is designed to walk, run, jump, and withstand impacts just like a human.
It can easily grasp and place various objects with a highly bionic body structure and AI-driven system.
The robot was developed by the National and Local Co-Built Humanoid Robotics Innovation Center in Shanghai's Pudong New Area, with the facility serving as a top-level research and development platform as well as a robotics training ground, where Qinglong learns to complete various activities.
"Tasks such as elaborate household tasks or intelligent manufacturing in industrial settings require a large model operating system to coordinate everything efficiently," said Xing Boyang, a research and development director at the center.
"In the future, companies and developers in the humanoid robot industry in China will be able to conduct in-depth development and continuous iterations based on Qinglong," said Xu Bin, the center's general manager.
By 2027, the center is expected to accommodate the training of up to 1,000 humanoid robots, as work continues to promote the application of humanoid robots into more real-life scenarios.
Life-size humanoid robot Qinglong shows off skills as it debuts at WAIC 2024
A 93-year-old veteran of the Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV) remains committed to attending the annual on-site ceremony to welcome the return of the remains of CPV martyrs from the Republic of Korea (ROK), paying his full tribute to the heroes who sacrificed their lives during the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea in the early 1950s.
Since China and the ROK signed a handover agreement in 2014 for the repatriation of CPV soldiers' remains, Li Weibo, the CPV veteran, has shown up at the site of welcome ceremony for martyrs every year, dressed in uniform and wearing his medals, to honor the departed comrades with his deepest respect.
"The first time I saw the news on TV, I immediately put on and straightened my uniform, then went to the site of the ceremony. I saluted to honor my comrades there," said Li.
In 1950, at the age of 19, Li graduated early from university and enlisted in the CPV as an anti-aircraft artilleryman. During the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-1953), the artillery regiment Li served in was responsible for securing the corridor between China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). Over the course of the war, the regiment had shot down 15 enemy aircraft and damaged 17 others.
"At that time, we had very few anti-aircraft artillery soldiers, but we defeated a powerful enemy with outdated weapons. So the weak overcame the strong," said Li.
After the war, whenever he missed his fallen comrades, Li would visit the martyrs' cemetery to honor them and express his eternal remembrance.
Besides, over the past decade, he has attended the welcome ceremony every year to witness the return of his comrades' remains. He hopes that, even after their passing, they can see the growing strength and prosperity of their homeland in their own way.
"I saw our country using a large transport plane to bring back the martyrs' remains, escorted by two fighter jets. Now, our nation's aviation has grown stronger. I want them to come back and see how much our country has developed and prospered," said Li.
Despite being over 90 years old, Li said he will continue to be one of the welcoming group members to honor the return of the CPV martyrs, always standing straight and wearing his uniform with pride.
"I want to be there to welcome them every time they return in the rest of my life. I will prepare my uniform in advance, straighten it, and be ready to welcome when they come home," the CPV veteran said.
From 2014 to 2023, China and the ROK, in accordance with international laws and humanitarian principles, successfully completed 10 consecutive handovers involving the remains of 938 CPV martyrs in the ROK, along with related artifacts.
CPV veteran upholds tradition of welcoming comrades' remains home from ROK
