29th October 2024

New humanoid robot impresses with lifelike gait

SE01, developed by Chinese company EngineAI, features a more natural-looking walk than previous humanoid robots.

"Until now, most humanoid robots have walked with bent legs and tiny steps," says an engineer in the promotional video for EngineAI, a new startup based in Shenzhen, China. "Seeing this makes me sick," the unnamed speaker continues. "Guys, you are the top engineers in the world. If they can't do it, that's on them. We will definitely make the change happen."

Now publicly revealed, the SE01 brings this determination to life, making strides (quite literally) toward a new era in humanoid robotics. Unlike previous androids, which moved with an obviously mechanical gait, the SE01 impresses with its more human-like posture and smoother, more natural steps.

EngineAI, founded in 2023, has the ambitious goal of redefining industry standards and becoming a world leader in general-purpose robots. The company – consisting of 36 staff – hopes to inject momentum into the field of robotics and spark discussions about future possibilities in human-machine interaction.

One of the SE01's main features is a highly sophisticated "end-to-end" neural network. In layman's terms, this means a system that processes data all the way from input to output without needing human intervention at intermediate steps. Essentially, the neural network handles every stage of a task, from gathering initial data to delivering the final result, in a fully automated way.

In other words, the "brain" of the SE01 can interpret and respond to information – sensing its environment, planning its movements, and executing actions – without requiring constant human guidance; instead, it makes real-time decisions on its own based on the data it receives.

Using this neural network, the EngineAI team has solved a long-standing challenge in the development of lifelike robots: natural gait. With unprecedented elegance and energy efficiency in both stationary and dynamic states, the SE01 significantly narrows the behavioural gap between robots and humans.

The smooth, swift, and fluid strides of the SE01 are made possible by an impressive combination of hardware and software. An integrated harmonic joint module and 12 degrees of freedom enable its legs and feet to move with exceptional precision. Reinforcement learning and imitation learning further enhance the robot's motion control, while processors from NVIDIA and Intel, along with three sets of high-precision stereo cameras, form a cutting-edge visual system. The overall setup provides the SE01 with excellent perception and analytical capabilities in complex environments, allowing it to calculate optimal movements in real time.

The SE01 uses aerospace-grade aluminium alloy, making the body both sturdy and lightweight, and significantly enhancing the mechanical structure's lifespan. Additionally, the team worked to simplify the design and reduce costs, without compromising on the product's reliability or movement quality.

According to EngineAI, the robot could find applications in research and education fields, as well as industrial environments. The company plans to complete development of its full product line by the end of 2024 and is aiming for annual production and sales of more than 1,000 units in 2025. EngineAI also plans to launch more product lines suitable for home and industrial use, such as the "PM" and "PA" series.

"Our goal is to make robotics technology truly serve humanity," said Zhao Tongyang, founder and CEO. "Through continuous deepening of technological innovation and market expansion, we aim to bring embodied intelligent robots into every aspect of life."

Despite being founded only a year ago, EngineAI has already made a name for itself by setting a new standard for lifelike movement in robotics. With impressive technical achievements and its ambitious roadmap, this will certainly be a company to keep an eye on.

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