In the wave of intelligent manufacturing towards high efficiency and automation, humanoid robots are moving from the laboratory to practical applications. On January 15, 2025, Foxconn and UBTECH reached a comprehensive strategic cooperation, focusing on the in-depth application of humanoid robots in the manufacturing industry and promoting the arrival of a new era of "lights-off factory". This cooperation not only demonstrates the technical strength of the two companies, but also indicates the future potential of the humanoid robot industry.
Background: The perfect fit between demand and technology
Ⅰ.Foxconn: The urgent need for smart manufacturing
As a leading enterprise in the global electronics manufacturing field, Foxconn has gradually turned to an intelligent manufacturing model in recent years under the dual pressure of rising labor costs and increasing market personalized demand. Although traditional industrial robots are outstanding in improving efficiency, their fixity limits the demand for flexible production. With its flexible structural design, advanced perception and decision-making capabilities, humanoid robots can complete a variety of tasks including material handling, quality inspection and complex assembly, which is an important support for Foxconn to move towards intelligent manufacturing.
Ⅱ.UBTECH: a technology pioneer in the field of humanoid robots
UBTECH has accumulated deep experience in the research and development of artificial intelligence and robots, and its flagship product Walker S1 has become a benchmark in the industry. The robot has precise motion control, perception of complex environments, and efficient human-computer interaction. The measured data shows that the Walker S1 can operate efficiently in complex scenarios and adapt to changing production tasks, providing important support for industrial intelligence.
Figure: Foxconn and UBTECH have cooperated to focus on the manufacturing application of humanoid robots
Details of cooperation and phased results
Ⅰ.Training verification: in-depth adaptation of industrial scenarios
The Walker S1 has completed two months of training at Foxconn's Longhua factory in Shenzhen. During this time, its efficiency in logistics scenarios has been fully proven. For example, in a test to handle 30 kg of goods, the Walker S1 completed the transport from the warehouse to the production line in 2 minutes, saving more than half the time compared to manual operation. Next, the robot will enter Foxconn's Zhengzhou automobile production line to explore the feasibility of more complex tasks such as welding and assembly.
Ⅱ.Lights-off factories: the future of fully automated production
The two parties plan to jointly promote the construction project of "light-off factory" to achieve unmanned production. By combining UBTECH's humanoid robot technology with Foxconn's industrial management experience, the project will focus on the following technical breakthroughs:
Precise motion control: optimize the flexible processing ability of complex processes;
Improved environmental awareness: Improve real-time perception and dynamic decision-making capabilities of the production environment;
Enhanced task adaptability: The robot can quickly switch between different production tasks to meet the needs of multi-variety and low-batch production.
Joint Laboratory: Technology Research and Industry Promotion Platform
The two parties will also establish a joint laboratory for intelligent manufacturing robots, focusing on the following core research directions:
Efficient motion algorithm: optimize the robot's motion accuracy and energy consumption;
Human-machine collaboration model: explore the collaborative working mechanism of humans and robots;
Reduce production costs: Through large-scale application and material innovation, the cost will be significantly reduced.
Industry impact and future outlook
Ⅰ.An example of an upgrade in smart manufacturing
This collaboration will transform the manufacturing industry on multiple dimensions. Taking automobile manufacturing as an example, humanoid robots can replace manual high-intensity processes such as welding and assembly, greatly improving production efficiency and reducing the scrap rate caused by human error. In addition, its ability to flexibly adapt to diverse needs provides new possibilities for flexible manufacturing.
Ⅱ.The leapfrog development of the humanoid robot industry
This cooperation provides practical experience in technology implementation and application promotion for the humanoid robot industry:
Accelerate the commercialization process: The validation of industrial scenarios will increase the market's confidence in humanoid robot technology;
Improve industrial chain collaboration: The combination of Foxconn's resource integration capabilities and UBTECH's technological advantages is expected to promote the collaboration and innovation of the whole industry chain;
Industry competitiveness: Large-scale application will reduce the cost of robots and enhance market competitiveness.
Long-term social and economic impacts
The widespread use of humanoid robotics will lead to the following changes:
Optimization of employment structure: on the one hand, reduce the demand for low-skilled labor, and on the other hand, create high-skilled jobs;
Production safety improvement: robots replace dangerous processes and effectively reduce industrial accidents;
Driven by related industries: technology fields such as artificial intelligence and sensors will usher in greater development opportunities.
Conclusion: A key leap forward in intelligent manufacturing
The cooperation between Foxconn and UBTECH will not only promote intelligent manufacturing to a new height of "unmanned", but also set a benchmark for the application of humanoid robot technology in the industrial field. However, the high cost and ethical challenges of technological development still require joint efforts within and outside the industry. With the deepening of cooperation and the iteration of technology, humanoid robots will open up new possibilities for manufacturing and even social and economic development.
The cooperation between Foxconn and UBTECH is not only the epitome of the future development of intelligent manufacturing, but also the starting point of a new chapter in the era of industrial robots.
