China moots at least 100 standards for humanoid robots

China has proposed formulating at least 100 key standards for the humanoid robot industry by 2028, according to a draft guideline from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. The draft guideline for developing a national standard system for the humanoid robot industry will be open for public comment from August 25 to September 23. The proposed standards would cover areas such as methods for capability testing and evaluation, key technologies, platforms and systems, application scenarios and safety governance. By 2028, the draft also aims to establish a systematic, science-based and coordinated standard system, with more than 200 enterprises promoting and implementing these standards. Humanoid robots are defined in the draft as a new generation of artificial intelligence-driven intelligent terminals with human-like forms and capabilities that can autonomously perform complex tasks. Rapid development of the sector has created an urgent need for common standards covering terminology, interfaces, testing and evaluation to guide technological innovation, product development and large-scale application, according to the draft. More than 100 humanoid robot-related standards are already under development or preliminary research in China and abroad. The draft calls for standardising methodologies for grading humanoid robot capabilities. It also proposes standardising the definition of unique identifiers, coding rules and identification mechanisms for humanoid robots. The push for standards comes as China steps up efforts to deploy humanoid robots in real-world settings. Beyond technical and industrial specifications, the draft calls for standards governing ethical requirements and social-impact assessments in the development and application of humanoid robot technologies, placing safety and ethics alongside performance and commercialisation in the proposed standards system. (Xinhua) Edited by Altis Wong