Midea has indeed entered the field of humanoid robots.
This development is based on the disclosure by Wei Chang, Vice President and CTO of Midea Group, on October 24, 2024.
He stated that Midea's Central Research Institute has a research and development team for embodied intelligence, which is conducting exploratory research on humanoid robots and mainly focusing on the field of core components.
1、 Midea's layout in the field of humanoid robots
R&D team and core technology:
Midea has established a dedicated embodied intelligence research and development team, focusing on the development of core components for humanoid robots.
Midea has made certain progress in high torque, short tube, and integrated harmonic reducers, and has the ability to produce 80000 units annually, laying the foundation for its subsequent layout in the humanoid robot market.
Market positioning and strategy:
Midea's attempts at humanoid robots are currently focused on preliminary research and have not yet launched a complete machine product.
Midea believes that there is still a long way to go for large-scale household use of humanoid robots, and mastering the core technology of components is the first step to enter this track.
In the future, when the market becomes clearer, Midea does not rule out the possibility of entering the field of humanoid robot manufacturing.
2、 Midea's background and experience in the field of robotics
Early layout:
Midea acquired the robotics company "KUKA" as early as 2017, officially entering the robotics and automation market.
In the fourth quarter of 2022, Midea completed the comprehensive acquisition and privatization of KUKA. Currently, KUKA Group is responsible for the specific operation of Midea's robotics and automation business.
Business growth and challenges:
Midea's robotics and automation business has experienced rapid growth in recent years and has gradually become one of the important business segments of Midea Group.
However, in the first half of 2024, the revenue of this business decreased by 9% year-on-year to 13.9 billion yuan, mainly due to the suspension of domestic automobile manufacturers' capacity expansion plans and the adjustment of overseas automobile manufacturers' product strategies.
Customer and Industry Distribution:
Midea's customers in the field of industrial robots are mainly concentrated in industries such as automotive, 3C electronics, and metal processing, where there is a high demand for automation.
But Midea also faces the risk of high customer concentration and needs to put more effort into customer diversification.
3、 The challenges faced by Midea in the field of humanoid robots
Technical challenges:
Humanoid robots involve more complex technological challenges, including bionics, dynamic balancing, speech recognition, and natural language processing.
Midea needs to constantly innovate in mechanical structures and make breakthroughs in algorithm development and data processing.
Market competition:
There are already many technology companies involved in the humanoid robot market, and Midea needs to face fierce competition from domestic and foreign competitors.
In addition, Midea also needs to address challenges such as limited market demand and insufficient technological maturity.
Supply Chain and Cost:
Midea needs to ensure a stable supply chain for the core components of humanoid robots and control production costs to improve product cost-effectiveness and market competitiveness.
In summary, Midea has entered the field of humanoid robots and made some progress in core components.
However, Midea still faces many challenges in the field of humanoid robots, requiring continuous investment in research and technological innovation to cope with market competition and technological challenges.