From Tokyo, Japan and Changsha, China – this is Down to Business English. With your hosts Skip Montreux and Dez Morgan. How goes it, Skip? Oh, not so bad Dez. How goes it with yourself? Ah, fairly well. Not too much to report from my end. Although, I have been trying to lead a bit more of a healthy lifestyle recently. Oh great! What does that entail? Eating more fruit and vegetables, getting more exercise, that type of thing? Exactly. So, what are you doing?
Jogging before breakfast every morning? Well that’s a bit extreme, but I have been cycling more. Well, still that’s very impressive Dez. Good for you! I wish I could get myself organized enough to incorporate some regular exercise into my routine. Speaking of jogging, I recently read an article about a very unusual half marathon that took place in Beijing in April. Half marathons are quite common. Ah, but this was not just any half marathon. Okay. I’ll bite.
What was so special about this half marathon? Well, not all of the participants were human — some were humanoid robots. No way. You mean like C3PO from Star Wars? Yeah, just like C3PO, yes. It was the world’s very first half marathon that included both humans and humanoid robots as participants. You know, that sounds kind of dangerous. I mean, what if one of those robots malfunctions mid-race? It feels a little too close to the beginning of a Terminator movie if you ask me. Ha!
Luckily, no Skynet-level meltdowns this time — but I do get your concern. However, these weren’t autonomous Terminators. The robots were controlled by people but they did have to get around the whole course under their own power. And who won? The robots or the humans? Ah, the humans of course. But it’s important to point out that it wasn’t actually a competitive race. Oh, no? According to the BBC, it was a demonstration event held during the Beijing Half Marathon.
Twenty-one humanoid robots, designed and built by Chinese manufacturers ran alongside tens of thousands of human participants. Many of the robots couldn't finish but the winning robot did finish in 2 hours and 40 minutes. The fastest men's time was 1 hour and 2 minutes. Hmm. That’s impressive for a machine. 2 hours and 40 minutes? It’s not elite, but it’s not a slow jog either.
Still, it’s a powerful symbol of how the race to build humanoid robots is heating up — not just technologically, but as a rapidly emerging global business sector. Sounds like we're entering a new age of robotics — maybe it's not quite Judgment Day, but humanoid robots are definitely on their way. And that’s exactly what we’re reporting on today — the companies developing humanoid robots and the emerging industry surrounding them. Great! Let’s do it. Yes, let’s do it.
Let’s get D2B … Down to Business with the Race to Develop Humanoid Robots. Which companies are in this race? And who is in the lead? I like what you did there, Dez. Er, what’s that? Your segue from the half-marathon race in Beijing to the race to bring humanoid robots to market in today’s title. Very smart! You liked that? Well, I'm glad you noticed. Anyway, let’s begin with the elephant in the room — Tesla’s Optimus, the company’s humanoid robot project.
This isn’t the first time Elon Musk or Tesla have been called the elephant in the room. And nor will it be the last, I’m sure. Musk first announced the Optimus project at Tesla's first AI Day in August 2021. He described it as a general-purpose humanoid robot designed to take on tasks that are repetitive, dangerous, or boring for humans. And then a year later, at their AI day in 2022, he revealed a working prototype.
Although it’s still in development, Musk assures us Optimus will be in production soon. However, let us keep in mind that Musk does have a habit of over promising. Are you referring to the, er, Tesla Cybertruck? You know I am. That vehicle’s 800 kilometer range was a huge overpromise, as was the auto steer feature. Neither debuted quite as Musk promised. Hold your pessimism there for a moment, Skip. There is a certain logic behind Tesla making robots. Is there? Indeed there is.
Tesla has likened the development of Optimus to their working on self-driving electric vehicles, saying it's a natural progression from building robots with wheels to building robots with arms and legs. I suppose there is a certain logic to that statement. I assume that Optimus will have access to Musk’s Grok AI, which will no doubt be used in its operating system. And I know that Tesla has been working extensively on the sensors needed for their autonomous vehicles in its robotaxi project.
Exactly. That AI and those advanced sensors will be needed for any humanoid robot to be able to move around autonomously. But currently, you said Optimus is still in the development stage. Correct. What kind of tasks is it expected to be able to perform when it’s eventually released into the world? According to Musk, Optimus will be used for a wide range of tasks — everything from handling materials and doing repetitive tasks in factories to helping out around the house.
You know, making dinner, washing the dishes, mowing the lawn. Those kind of things. That would be super convenient to have a robotic helper around the house. Well, we will have to see if Optimus can live up to the promise. Yes, we will. So that’s Tesla’s Optimus project. Who else is in this race? There are indeed quite a few runners on the track. Estimates suggest around 50 companies worldwide are developing fully humanoid robots. Fully humanoid — with both arms and legs.
Yes. And if you include robots with just arms but move around on wheels, that number nearly doubles. Wow, a hundred companies. Are there any of these humanoid robots in use today? For the truly humanoid robots with arms and legs, we are getting close. In fact, there are some companies who are starting to adopt them. For example? For example, BMW is testing humanoid robots from third-party developers at one of its US factories.
And Hyundai has ordered tens of thousands of units from Boston Dynamics — a robotic company it acquired an 80% stake of back in 2021. I can see why car makers would find humanoid robots appealing. Once in operation, robots can work on an assembly line around the clock — no lunch breaks, no health insurance. I'm sure labor unions are not happy about this. Ha, no doubt about that. Tell us more about this company Hyundai invested in — Boston Dynamics.
Boston Dynamics is one of the most established firms in the robotics sector, having been founded in 1992. They launched their first humanoid robot back in 2013. That robot has since evolved into their Atlas model, which they introduced in 2021. Atlas? Cool name. It is. Atlas is capable of running, jumping, dancing, and even performing impressive parkour moves. Parkour?! You mean that sport where people run, jump, and climb over walls and other obstacles in city spaces?
That’s it. But Boston Dynamics' most recent robot model, Stretch, is not a humanoid robot. It’s a boxy, wheeled machine designed for warehouse and logistics tasks. The company hasn’t published a price tag yet, though. Would that be the model Hyundai has on order? It would. Toyota and Softbank are also big in the robotic sector. Softbank shipped 25,000 units of its social robot Pepper, before it was discontinued in 2021. Oh, I am very familiar with Pepper.
You used to see them all over the place in Tokyo. In office building lobbies, at information desks in shopping centers, I even knew a neighbor in my apartment building who had her very own personal Pepper. Really?! Yeah. She was an elderly woman who lived alone. I don’t know, she must have been in her late 70s. Her son had bought her a Pepper to keep her company. Well, that doesn’t surprise me.
Pepper was designed to interact with humans, to recognize different facial expressions, and to respond with appropriate gestures and speech. It could even detect emotions like happiness, sadness, or… or even anger. Perfect in customer service roles to engage people in a friendly, human-like manner. Hm. Good old Pepper. And what about Toyota? Where are they with all of this?
The Toyota robot, known as the T-HR3, is a humanoid machine that is remote controlled and is designed to mirror the movements of a human operator in real time. It was originally introduced in 2017 and was later demoed using 5G connectivity that allowed it to be operated from up to 10 kilometers away. So, it's not an autonomous robot. That's right, it's not. It is operated by a human.
Toyota developed the T-HR3 for potential applications in healthcare, disaster zones, and even space missions, thanks to its high precision and responsiveness. That makes a lot of sense. But no country has invested more into robotics in recent years than China. Well, that’s par for the course — China has been investing heavily in emerging tech for years. Not only have companies invested massive amounts but so have local and state governments.
There are several state backed robotic institutes in Shanghai where Chinese companies can test and train their humanoid robots. Robot schools? So to speak, yes. This kind of government support is closely tied to China’s booming robotics sector. Take Unitree, for example — a leading robotics firm in China, particularly known for its work in affordable four-legged and humanoid robots. They list their G1 humanoid robot for just $16,000.
Compare that with the $74,000 price tag of Boston Dynamics' Spot, the robotic dog. Sorry, did you say robotic dog? I did. Spot is a robotic dog that can be used for search and rescue or bomb disposal purposes. And it costs $74,000. Pricey. Boston Dynamics’ humanoid robot is even more expensive. As I earlier mentioned they haven't announced the price yet, but it's estimated to be over $300,000. Wow, that is a huge difference in price between Unitree and Boston Dynamics prices.
How is it that Chinese companies can make robots so cheaply? China has essentially built an entire ecosystem for the research, development, and production of robots. Because of this, Chinese firms who produce robots can order pre-made parts and components instead of building everything from scratch. And this means production becomes much less expensive. It does. But it's not just Chinese firms doing this.The UK-based robotics company Kinisi has just launched its KR1 robot.
It’s not fully humanoid as it is designed for use in warehouses so it does run on wheels. Like Boston Dynamics' Stretch robot. Yes, but here is the thing — even though the KR1 was designed and developed by Kinisi in the UK, it's going into production in China. Because many of its components are made there?
That's right. As Kinisi’s CEO Bren Pierce explained in a recent interview, it doesn’t make much sense to buy motors, batteries, and resistors in China and then ship them around the world for assembly — not when you can source and assemble everything in Asia, where the supply chain is already in place. You cannot really argue with that thinking. As you can see, it looks as though China will be the powerhouse of robotic development going forward. Which only really leaves me with one question, Dez.
And what's that? How long until I have my very own personal humanoid robot to help me out around the house? Ah, bad news there Skip. Mr. Pierce doesn’t see that happening anytime soon. His estimate is it will be at least 10 - 15 years before they become commonplace in our homes, and probably longer. Hm. That’s a bit of a letdown. I was hoping to outsource my laundry at the very least. Well he should know, he has a PHD in robotics and is CEO of a robotics firm.
So much for my dream of a robot doing laundry while I watch TV. Mm. Maybe one day, but until then it's just you and your washing machine. And on that note, I think it is time for us to get D2V … Down to Vocabulary I will kick D2V off today with the idiomatic expression ‘I will bite’, or just 'I'll bite'.
This is a great phrase to use when you’re having a conversation with someone and they say something that you find surprising or interesting, and you want to let them know that you are curious to learn more about it. This idiom comes from fishing. When a fish bites the hook, it gets caught. In conversation, it’s like saying, “Okay, I’m interested or I'm hooked. Tell me more.” In the introduction of today’s episode, when Dez told me that the half marathon
he had read about wasn’t just any marathon I replied, "Okay. I’ll bite. What was special about this half marathon?" By saying that, Skip showed he was curious about what I was talking about and I knew he wanted to hear more. How would you use this in a business setting, Dez? If my coworker came up to me and said, “You’ll never believe who just got promoted!” I might reply with, “Okay, I’ll bite — who's the lucky person?” Perfect example. What's our next word?
Next up is the idiom ‘the elephant in the room’. A very strange-sounding but commonly used idiom. Dez, do you know where this comes from? Good question. The idea goes back to a story from the 1800s — about a man who notices every little thing in a museum but completely misses the elephant standing in the middle of the room. It later became a popular idiom in English, meaning something that‘s too big and obvious to ignore — even though no one wants to talk about it.
So when you say something is the elephant in the room you are saying everyone is aware of it, but no one wants to talk about it. That’s exactly right. In my report, I used it to describe Tesla — because their role in the robotics industry is huge, but their claims often go unchallenged in public discussions. Right. So it’s about what is unsaid — even when it’s obvious. Got it. Can you give us an example using this idiom, Skip? A real-world example would be electric vehicles.
They are promoted as a clean solution, but the elephant in the room is the environmental cost of battery production and electricity generation. Great example. That’s something everyone knows about, but no one really talks about it. Although that is starting to change. Perhaps. The final word for D2V today is the noun ‘ecosystem’. Or how I would pronounce it — ecosystem.
In its original meaning, ecosystem refers to nature — where plants, animals, and other life forms depend on each other to survive. In business, we use it to describe a system of related services, companies, and technologies that work together in a connected way. In today’s story, I explained how China has built a complete ecosystem for robotics — meaning a business environment where research, development, and production are all closely connected through an efficient supply chain.
Another example would be Hollywood — a place where film studios, actors, editors, and other professionals all work closely together in one industry. Those ecosystems give regions like China and Hollywood a huge competitive edge in their sectors. Would you like to help Down to Business English reach more people wanting to improve their Business English skills? Follow Down to Business English on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Spotify, or any place podcasts are found.
Leave a rating and a review and tell everyone how much you enjoy the show. Great vocabulary today, Dez. And thanks again for that fascinating report on the humanoid robotic industry. My pleasure, Skip. It’s a topic that’s only going to become more relevant in the years ahead. D2B Members and Apple Podcast subscribers — the bonus Down to Vocabulary episode for today’s report will be available very soon.
We’ll be discussing five additional vocabulary items that appeared in today’s episode — all of which are useful for discussing technology and business strategy. Those words and phrases are — to be autonomous, an overpromise, to mirror, to be par for the course, and to do something from scratch.
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