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Shanghai Electric Unveils Innovations at WAIC 2026

During the recent World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) 2026, held on July 24 in Shanghai, Shanghai Electric made waves by presenting a compelling suite of robots integrated with embodied intelligence and advanced smart factory solutions. This showcase demonstrated how modern industrial manufacturing can leverage AI to enhance operational efficiency in complex environments.

The theme of Shanghai Electric's exhibition was "AI for All Smart Squad, Shining Without Limits," which encapsulated the company's vision of integrating AI into varied industrial applications. Shanghai Electric demonstrated a diverse array of robotic solutions, emphasizing complete robotic systems, essential robotic components, industrial software, and the architecture of smart manufacturing plants driven by native AI.

Wang Chunlei, Deputy General Manager of the Robotics Division at Shanghai Electric Automation Group, articulated the significance of embodied intelligence in recognizing real-world industrial tasks. He emphasized the combination of machine strength, precision, and stability with human expertise, paving the way for a new model of cooperation where machines support human efforts, and both work in unison.

One of the highlights was the humanoid robot "SUYUAN," which features 41 degrees of freedom, providing exceptional mobility. Designed for tasks like inspection, material transportation, and assembly operations, SUYUAN is equipped with a cutting-edge multimodal vision system for enhanced perception. Additionally, it boasts a hot-swappable battery system that allows for continuous operation without downtime.

Furthermore, Shanghai Electric displayed the wheeled humanoid robot "TUOYUAN." This robot utilizes a hybrid system for force and position control, enabling it to perform various functions such as connection assembly, material sorting, and loading operations. It targets industries where swift adaptability to diverse tasks is critical, particularly in automotive manufacturing.

Also on show was the bionic humanoid robot "Mermaid," designed to autonomously recognize controls and switches, establishing operational trajectories in real-time. This capability showcases the potential for robots to interact intelligently with their environments, thereby elevating their operational effectiveness.

For confined spaces, Shanghai Electric introduced an autonomous robot capable of internal wall chamfering within pipes, which boasts positioning accuracy within ±1 mm. This high level of precision is critical in industries requiring meticulous workmanship, coupled with real-time data transmission capabilities.

In addition to these robots, Shanghai Electric presented a range of essential robotic components, including a planetary roller screw with a load-bearing capacity exceeding that of traditional ball screws and the versatile DexHand robot hand designed for intricate gripping and manipulation tasks.

The company also showcased 51 AI agents as part of the "Smart Manufacturing StarCloud" series, which contribute to key processes in research, design, manufacturing, and operational maintenance. These solutions are geared towards optimizing industrial processes, including technology process optimization and wind energy infrastructure maintenance, facilitating a shift from experience-based systems to data-driven models.

Shanghai Electric’s industrial AI agents are integrated into robot decision-making systems and the native AI logic powering smart factories, enabling the transformation of expert manufacturing knowledge into digital resources that can be reused. This integration supports production scheduling, quality control, and predictive maintenance with the aim of accelerating the transition towards intelligent manufacturing.

Moreover, the company released a white paper titled "White Paper on Smart Factory Technology with Native AI," outlining the architecture for active evolution that allows real-time optimization of production data in a closed loop. This setup enables factories to implement self-observation, autonomous decision-making, and action execution.

The concept of the intelligent factory driven by native AI, built on First Principles, vertically integrates process flows, industrial software, AI agents, and smart devices while horizontally connecting dispersed data silos. This innovative architecture is structured around three core layers: the factory's AI 'brain' serving as the control center, the industrial AI agents, and the robots employing embodied intelligence that form the execution network, all represented by a digital twin reflecting the actual factory environment.

With extensive industrial experience and comprehensive technological capabilities, Shanghai Electric is poised to continue advancing AI deployment in industrial settings. The company aims to tackle the technical challenges associated with embodied intelligence in complex scenarios, expedite the large-scale implementation of smart factories driven by native AI, and offer replicable solutions across various manufacturing environments.