China to dominate humanoid robot mkt

China will dominate more than half of the global humanoid robot production this year, as the country is racing ahead in the sector as part of the next big frontier in artificial intelligence and automation, according to a recent industry report.

The report, jointly published by Leaderobot and nine other institutions, predicts that this year the country will produce more than 10,000 humanoid robots, reaching 8.24 billion yuan ($1.14 billion) in sales revenue.

With costs falling and ecosystems maturing, the humanoid robot industry is poised to leap from pilot projects to large-scale commercialization. It is a path "reminiscent of China's rapid rise in electric vehicles" — and it could give the country a fresh economic growth engine, said the report.