The humanoid robot from Yushu Technology fell during a marathon, leading to widespread public scrutiny of this star startup, with even its performance during the Spring Festival Gala being revisited as a basis for criticism.On April 20, a user on Zhihu wrote in a post: “The Yushu robots that appeared on the Spring Festival Gala were directly lifted onto the stage, and during the performance, they could not make large movements. When they left the stage, the actors had to support them down. When Liu Qian wanted to interact, it just malfunctioned and fell over.” The user further speculated that the Yushu robot fell at the start of the marathon, “which is likely due to its quality being at this level.”On the same day, Yushu Technology’s founder Wang Xingxing responded using his personal Zhihu account, stating that when the performance ended and the dancers touched the back of the robot’s neck, “it was the director’s desired performance effect; the robot can perform complex formations automatically on stage, so how could it not get off stage automatically?” It was confirmed that this account is indeed used by Wang Xingxing himself.
The robot that performed at the Spring Festival Gala is Yushu Technology’s earliest model, the H1, which stands 1.8 meters tall. In contrast, the robot that malfunctioned while interacting with Liu Qian backstage is the G1 robot, launched in May 2024, standing approximately 127 cm tall, and it was also the model that appeared at the Beijing Yizhuang Robot Half Marathon.Regarding the robot’s malfunction, Wang Xingxing explained that a colleague was too excited and “accidentally pressed a button similar to an emergency stop.”Previously, Wang Xingxing had also responded in the comments section of Liu Qian’s video.
On April 19, during the Beijing Yizhuang Robot Half Marathon, the Yushu Technology G1 robot fell at the starting point. Photo by Yang Liu, Southern Metropolis Daily.
Online videos show that after the Yushu robot fell, it stood up and continued the race. Source: Video screenshot.After gaining popularity from the Spring Festival Gala, every move of Yushu Technology is scrutinized under the spotlight.During the robot half marathon on April 19, a Yushu Technology G1 robot suddenly fell to the ground before the race even started, triggering a wave of criticism.An employee from Yushu Technology told Southern Metropolis Daily: “The fall was completely due to operator error.” Yushu Technology’s official statement also clarified that in preparation for a humanoid robot combat live broadcast, the company did not participate in this marathon; rather, other clients used their own algorithms to participate in the competition. “The robot’s performance varies greatly depending on who operates or develops it, so please do not misunderstand,” the statement mentioned.Report recapVideo goes viral! Yushu respondsHowever, the public’s criticism did not cease as a result.
Southern Metropolis Daily (nddaily), N Video Report
Written by: Yang Liu, Southern Metropolis Daily
Video: Qiu Siying, Southern Metropolis Daily
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