Humanoid Robot Innovation Center

Zhejiang Humanoid Robot Innovation Center is a technology company established on December 21, 2023, through a joint effort between the Ningbo municipal government and the robotics laboratory of Professor Xiong Rong at Zhejiang University. The center focuses on developing general-purpose humanoid robotics systems for industrial and commercial automation. Professor Xiong, the chief scientist, and her team bring over two decades of experience in robotics, specializing in areas like intelligent perception, motion control, and machine learning. Their research background includes developing soccer-playing and table-tennis-playing robots, showcasing a long-term commitment to advancing humanoid capabilities.

The company develops full-stack hardware and software in-house, covering everything from industrial design and mechanical structure to intelligent control algorithms. Its primary products are the "Navigator" series of bipedal humanoid robots. The first prototype, "Navigator 1," was unveiled in March 2024. This was followed by "Navigator 2 NAVIAI" in August 2024, a more advanced model standing 165 cm tall, weighing 60 kg, and featuring 41 degrees of freedom. These robots are designed for high-precision embodied intelligence tasks, capable of bipedal walking, adapting to varied terrain, and performing coordinated full-body motions. Key features include high-precision lightweight arms with a single-arm payload of 5kg and adaptive walking speeds up to 1.5 meters per second. The NAVIAI model is already being used in factories for basic assembly line tasks.

Functioning as a high-level innovation platform, the center aims to create an integrated ecosystem for humanoid robotics, encompassing research and development, commercialization, talent cultivation, and industrial collaboration. It has formed the Zhejiang Humanoid Robot Industry Alliance with 11 other entities and signed strategic cooperation agreements with partners to strengthen the industrial chain. The center is preparing for mass production, with a new factory under construction in the Haishu district of Ningbo set to produce 100 robots annually to support applications in manufacturing, logistics, and guided services.

Keywords: humanoid robotics, bipedal robots, industrial automation, embodied intelligence, full-stack robotics, motion control, intelligent perception, robotics R&D, commercial automation, advanced manufacturing, logistics automation, service robots, Zhejiang University, Professor Xiong Rong, Navigator robot, NAVIAI, bipedal locomotion, robotic manipulation, machine learning, dynamic balance algorithms