Robots' mountain climbing shows industry advances

Editor's note: On Monday, nearly 90 teams of robots participated in a competition to climb the steep trails of Taishan Mountain in East China's Shandong province. China Central Television spoke to Zhang Guoteng, a professor at the School of Control Science and Engineering of Shandong University; and Wang Xiao, a senior engineer at the institute of intelligentization studies of the China Academy of Industrial Internet, on the outcomes of the competition and whether robots are ready to replace human workers. Below are excerpts of the interviews. The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.

Compared with flat ground and laboratory settings, the trails of Taishan Mountain have long, unstructured terrain. It is difficult to recreate such a scenario in a laboratory. The primary objective of the competition was to test the robots' adaptability to diverse terrains and assess the reliability and stability of their systems under extreme conditions such as those on Taishan Mountain.

During the competition, we detected issues in the robots that would not have been apparent in a laboratory environment. This provides solid data, guidance and reference for future research.

The robots moved so swiftly during the test event of the competition that referees could not keep pace, which prompted the organizers to revise the rules for the finals. This reflects the rapid technological progress in the robotics industry in recent years. The robots demonstrated impressive speed and capabilities by navigating the mountainous terrain while carrying heavy loads.

The progress is multifaceted. Robot motors have become more powerful, and their bodies are now more reliable and lighter. Not only have robots become more flexible in motion control, but their autonomous decision-making and environmental perception capabilities have also seen significant improvement.

The competition served as a comprehensive stress test in a complex environment. The performance of the participating robots indicates that their mobility has met basic requirements. However, this does not necessarily mean they are ready for real-world tasks. The challenges posed by actual industrial tasks are not comparable to those of the mountain-climbing competition.

The most pressing need for robots to replace human labor lies in high-risk positions. Industries such as mining, energy, metallurgy and chemicals involve hazardous jobs in an environment with high temperatures, toxic substances and heavy dust. These positions face labor shortages and significant safety risks. Letting robots engage in simple tasks in these scenarios could be a starting point.

On the other hand, a cautious approach is needed for positions that require high precision and short cycle times, such as precision assembly and flexible material handling, where there is little room for error. These roles are not yet suitable for robot workers because they are highly demanding. Medium- and long-term research efforts are needed to develop robots suitable for these tasks.

For a robot to be highly effective in high-risk scenarios, it must possess at least four key features. First, it should have a body equipped with safety functions to ensure it is explosion-proof and dust-proof. Second, it must demonstrate reliable performance, including accuracy, stability and adequate force for specific tasks. Third, it needs the intelligence to autonomously handle abnormal conditions. Lastly, it should have a "safety baseline" that allows it to shut down, request assistance or enable remote human control when operating beyond safe boundaries.