Learning to Walk by Bumping Into Walls... World's First 'Robot Kindergarten' Opens in Beijing, China

'Robot Kindergarten' Opens in Beijing's Shijingshan District
Learning Independently Through Trial and Error

A so-called 'Robot Kindergarten' dedicated to training and autonomous learning for humanoid robots has opened in Beijing, China, attracting significant attention.

'Robot Kindergarten' Opens in Beijing... Autonomous Learning as a Key Feature

According to state-run English-language media outlet Global Times and others on September 2 (local time), the robot kindergarten, which opened the previous day in Beijing’s Shijingshan District, was jointly established by tactile sensor company Taisan Technology and a research team led by Dr. Richard Sutton, a Turing Award winner and a pioneer in reinforcement learning.

The key characteristic of this facility is that it allows robots to accumulate experience and learn on their own. Instead of humans demonstrating tasks, the focus is on enabling robots to gain experience and learn through touch and trial and error.

Robots Adjust Their Own Actions in Case of Mistakes

Dr. Richard Sutton (right) teaching a class with new robots at the 'Robot Kindergarten.' Robot Great Hall,' an online platform for robots in China · Yonhap News Agency

Particularly in the robot kindergarten, it was reported that robots were observed repeatedly attempting the same motions or autonomously adjusting their actions. For example, a robot learning to walk would record situations where it bumped into a wall and adjust its next movements to avoid repeating the same mistake.

According to China’s online robot platform 'Robot Daegangdang', Dr. Sutton—who met the 'kindergarten robots' at the opening ceremony—explained that the goal is to provide a safe environment where robots can understand their own physical bodies and interact with the physical world through experiential learning.

Ma Yang, CEO of Taisan Technology, stated that thanks to the support from Beijing city authorities and the state-owned Shougang Group, the kindergarten was able to officially open just 37 days after the concept was announced. "Based on the technology we have accumulated in the field of tactile perception, we will provide the 'children' of the robot kindergarten with a starting point to perceive the world," he said.

Humanoid Robot Sports Meet Also Held in China Last Month

Robots are preparing to march at the 2nd World Humanoid Robot Sports Festival held at the National Speed Skating Stadium in Beijing, China, on the 22nd of last month (local time). Photo by Yonhap News

Meanwhile, China also recently hosted a sports meet where humanoid robots competed based on their performance, making headlines. On the 22nd of last month, the 2nd World Humanoid Robot Sports Meet opened at the National Speed Skating Arena in Beijing. A total of 666 teams from 16 countries, with 2,056 robots, participated and competed in 1,301 events across 51 categories.

In particular, the 100-meter preliminary heats drew attention as a record surpassing the human world record was set. A robot from China’s 'Tianzhu' team crossed the finish line in 9.39 seconds. This is 0.19 seconds faster than the men's 100-meter world record of 9.58 seconds, set by Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt in 2009.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.