(Yicai) March 18 -- As Midea Group debuted its prototype humanoid robot at a media event yesterday, its chief technology officer told Yicai that the Chinese firm recently established an innovation center to drive research and development in the field.

The home appliance giant has been focusing on a number of key R&D areas in robotics, said Wei Chang, who is also a vice president at the Foshan-based company, which acquired Germany's Kuka Group, one of the world's top four industrial robot companies, in 2017.

The first area is core components of humanoid robots, including reducers, motors, sensors, and controllers, which are being tested on robot prototypes, Wei said. The second area is the development of humanoid robots themselves, while the third is the robotization of home appliances, he said.

The prototype on show yesterday can perform various actions such as handshakes, passing water, making heart gestures, dancing, opening bottle caps, and driving in screws.

Humanoid robots may be used in industrial scenarios first, Wei noted, adding that commercial use is also possible. "Robotization of home appliances, if focused on specific and relatively simple tasks that can address user pain points, will have a shorter implementation timeline," he said.

Wei said there is a commonality in the core component technology of industrial robots and home appliance robots, and the talent pool can be shared.

He pointed out that for humanoid robots to become a part of the home, their cost will have to meet consumer expectations.

The bigger challenge is that household uses are quite complex, he noted. While androids can perform smooth movements, they are still a long way from being able to carry out the same complex tasks as humans, Wei said.

Editor: Tom Litting