Robot Era's XBot-L Humanoid Robot Conquers the Great Wall in China

Updated: June 09 2024 01:48

Robot Era, a Chinese humanoid robot developer, has become the first company to successfully conduct a walking test with a humanoid robot on the Great Wall of China. The robot, named XBot-L, showcased its advanced locomotion, dexterity, and self-balancing capabilities while navigating the complex outdoor environment of this ancient fortress.



The Great Wall, with its weathered stone walls and pavements, presents a significant challenge for any bipedal humanoid robot. Uneven surfaces, potholes, and endless flights of stairs can easily cause wheeled robots or humanoids without intensified kinematic support to lose balance and fall. Additionally, the dimly lit archways within the guard towers pose navigational difficulties due to limited perception.



XBot-L's success can be attributed to its advanced perceptive reinforcement learning (RL) algorithms. These algorithms enable the robot to:

• Sense the environment in front of it
• Maintain balance
• Adjust pace and gait accordingly
• Recognize complex road conditions
• Make timely adjustments to its walking stance

Yue Xi, co-founder of Robot Era, explains, "Perceptive RL algorithms help to strengthen the robot's perceptive and decision-making capacity in the face of unfamiliar terrains."




Unlike some legged robots that rely on blind walking, Robot Era's approach ensures that their robots can detect real-time changes in their immediate surroundings and identify obstacles in their path. This enhanced perception allows XBot-L to climb rugged stairs and slopes continuously on the Great Wall in an unassisted walking mode, bypass obstacles based on real-time path planning and motion control.


Xi emphasizes, "Compared to 'blind walking,' our robot displays better traversability and stability on complex surfaces."


The Great Wall walking test comes on the heels of Robot Era's unveiling of XHand, a 12-degree-of-freedom dexterous hand designed for humanoids to perform various object grasping tasks. The company has been doubling down on investments in perceptive algorithms, reinforcement learning, and neural networks to:

• Iterate product portfolios at a faster pace
• Accelerate the transfer of robot learning algorithms and models from simulation to the physical world
• Enable robots to become more versatile in real-life scenarios

Robot Era's achievement marks a significant milestone in the field of humanoid robotics. As the company continues to push the boundaries of what is possible, we can expect to see more advanced and adaptable humanoid robots capable of navigating and interacting with complex real-world environments.


The successful walking test on the Great Wall of China demonstrates the immense potential of humanoid robots and their ability to conquer even the most challenging terrains. With continued advancements in perceptive algorithms, reinforcement learning, and neural networks, the future of humanoid robotics looks brighter than ever.