Elon Musk's Optimus should be on alert as Taiwanese TV station TVBS reports that Asus is entering the humanoid robot race. The announcement was made by Jonney Shih, the company's president, on December 20. He confirmed the development of Asus's first humanoid robot.
For the Taiwanese company known for its computer hardware, the challenge is twofold. First, it must design a humanoid robot capable of fluid movement, object manipulation, and maintaining balance at all times. Additionally, Asus needs to create an artificial intelligence system that will operate the robot and enable it to learn skills autonomously.
Asus is not new to this field. The tech giant has been increasingly developing AI-enhanced computers and smartphones, and it has previous experience in robotics. In 2016, it launched the Zenbo companion robot with the goal of bringing robotics into homes. Zenbo could deliver food, order taxis, shop online, and play music, much like Alexa or Google Home. The new humanoid robot is expected to have capabilities similar to Optimus, which has gained attention online for its ability to dance, fold laundry, catch tennis balls, and walk dogs. However, Asus will face tough competition from other players like Tesla, Honda, and Boston Dynamics in the humanoid robot market.
