Meet R1, a Chinese tech giant’s rival to Tesla’s Optimus robot
SMRTR summary
Chopsticks in hand, a white humanoid robot named R1 stands over a wok, methodically cooking shrimp at Berlin's IFA 2025 tech show. Chinese tech giant Ant Group's new creation represents the latest push to merge artificial intelligence with physical automation.
The kitchen demonstration is just one potential application for Robbyant's R1. The Shanghai-based company envisions the robot serving as a healthcare companion, caregiver, or even a tour guide in the travel industry.
However, caution is warranted. A video from the tech show reveals R1 moving at an extraordinarily slow pace while simply placing a box on a counter.
Ant Group, which owns the popular payment platform Alipay and is backed by Jack Ma, hasn't announced pricing or availability as it continues testing the robot in community centers and restaurants throughout China.
The company joins Tesla and others betting that recent AI advances will finally overcome decades of sluggish progress in robotics, a field historically known for overpromising and underdelivering on even basic tasks.
SMRTR provides this summary for quick context. The original article belongs to The Verge.
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