At the first World Humanoid Robot Games recently held in Beijing, many amusing scenes unfolded: robots punching at thin air, swaying from side to side while running, and collectively tumbling after colliding during soccer matches. While these moments appear rather comical, looking back at the development of humanoid robots over the past few years reveals that despite current products’ many shortcomings, the progress has been remarkable. At this pace of development, humanoid robots may enter our daily lives within ten years or even sooner, fulfilling various practical needs.
From a purely physiological perspective, the human body is far from Earth’s optimal solution—in different scenarios, there’s almost always a form better suited than the humanoid shape. However, throughout humanity’s long evolution, we’ve built countless structures, vehicles, tools, objects, and interaction methods based on human ergonomics. This is precisely why humanoid robots can seamlessly integrate into existing social systems and serve humans in daily life.
Compared to highly anthropomorphic robots (especially those equipped with synthetic skin and facial expressions), I personally prefer the current endearingly clumsy mechanical forms. Excessive anthropomorphism might blur the boundaries between human and machine, bringing new troubles to society. Consider this: Would we need to prepare a bedroom for household robots? When getting up at night to use the bathroom, could you accept an almost human-like machine standing silently in the hallway?
In conclusion, even if humanoid robots are technically capable of serving humans, it will still take time and continuous exploration for the public to truly accept them in work and daily life.
I look forward to using such general-purpose intelligent assistants in my life within the next decade—but preferably maintaining an appropriate mechanical appearance, without excessive pursuit of human resemblance.
My dog Patton returned to the Dog Star at 11:00 PM on August 20, 2025, surrounded by his family’s love. I’m deeply grateful to all the friends and readers who sent their blessings after Patton fell ill. 🙏
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