Nio is testing HarmonyOS-powered humanoid robots

China-based electric vehicle manufacturer Nio is exploring the use of humanoid robots in its production lines. According to the latest report from China Star Market, Nio is testing the Kuavo robot developed by Leju Robotics in its factories. Kuavo is the first HarmonyOS-based robot to be introduced at Huawei’s HDC 2024 developer conference in June 2024.

Nio isn’t the only automaker exploring humanoid robots on assembly lines, but it appears to be a pioneer in the field. Prior to Kuavo’s testing, UBTech Robotics’ Walker S robot was trained at the Nio factory in February 2024. This was the first real-world training session of the Walker S robot in a new energy vehicle (NEV) factory. During training, the Walker S robot performed quality inspection tasks such as door locks, seat belts, and headlight covers using its image capture and transmission capabilities. Additionally, the robot’s ability to attach vehicle logos was also demonstrated in a video shared by UBTech Robotics.

Nio’s interest in humanoid robots is not limited to individual robots. In April 2024, Nio’s head of humanoid robots in charge of intellectual engineering, Yi Peng, announced at the China Humanoid Robot Ecology Conference that they had created a “team” of humanoid robots. Yi highlighted two main focus areas for Nio’s humanoid robotics efforts: stabilizing humanoid robot arms in tight spaces and performing multitasking using 5G and vision algorithms; Using humanoid robots in some quality control processes.

Nio is working on stabilizing humanoid robotic arms in tight spaces and performing multitasking using vision algorithms with 5G. It also aims to use humanoid robots in some quality control processes. Testing of the Kuavo robot is seen as an important step in Nio’s efforts to incorporate humanoid robots into its manufacturing processes.

Although the scope of Nio’s collaboration with Huawei and Leju Robotics is not yet clear, testing the HarmonyOS-based Kuavo robot is considered an important step towards using humanoid robots in the company’s production processes. These developments demonstrate Nio’s commitment to technological innovation and its pursuit of advanced automation solutions in production lines.