Europe wants to win global robot race

European leaders aim to secure a competitive edge in the global robotics arena, as the continent faces increasing competition from China and the United States. Demonstrating Europe's technical prowess, a series of AI-powered robots showcased their capabilities during a live demonstration in Brussels. Four human-assistance robots, developed jointly by France’s INRIA research institute and Germany’s DLR, swiftly cleaned a breakfast table, tidied cupboards, and managed various household tasks within a 10-minute period.

Meanwhile, a multi-jointed robotic arm, created by France’s CEA research agency, demonstrated its recycling capabilities by dismantling an electric battery model. The robots, designed with precision over speed in mind, moved cautiously to avoid startling humans in their vicinity. The European Union has invested significantly in robotics research, yet experts argue that more political support and funding is needed to catch up with China and the U.S. In a public display of European innovation, KYON, a quadruped robot developed by the Italian Institute of Technology, exhibited its ability to navigate and deliver packages.

Another robot, ETH Zurich’s Transformer, showcased its agility by switching between four-legged and two-legged movement, as well as climbing stairs. European organizers envision the region's robotics industry growing to rival the current size of the automotive industry within a decade, potentially capturing one-third of the global intelligent robotics market.

However, this ambitious goal faces significant challenges as China rapidly invests in humanoid robots and recently broke a world record in a robotics event. EU lawmaker Axel Voss urges Europe to act swiftly, warning that the U.S. and China are advancing faster and attracting capital elsewhere. He emphasizes that Europe must choose to either watch the next industrial revolution unfold elsewhere or take the lead in shaping it.