Robot engineering technicians work to develop smarter robots

HEFEI, July 29 (Xinhua) -- A cutting robot is "staring" at red laser lines on steel plates. Its mechanical arms cut the plates along the laser lines, creating sparks all around.

The industrial robots operate at the workshops of an intelligent robot company in Wuhu, east China's Anhui Province. It is a major task of robot algorithm engineer Zhang Fuqiang to make these robots work precisely.

"I optimize the eye-brain coordination of the robots," said Zhang. He processes information which is captured by the vision sensors on the robots and calculates a cutting and welding path within a 0.5-mm margin of error.

Zhang cooperates with his teammates in data processing, graphic analysis and verification to realize precise operation of the mechanical arms along the preset tracks.

In recent years, the application of robots has continued to expand, facilitating the digitalization of both production and life.

Not only do robots serve industrial manufacturing, but they also assist in fields such as storage and transportation, home appliances, education, entertainment and emergency rescue.

China's leading artificial intelligence (AI) and speech tech company iFLYTEK developed a robot to serve as a teaching assistant, helping students acquire AI knowledge in primary and secondary schools.

The computer screen of hardware development engineer Chen Zhijun showed the frame diagrams of the robot's controller, sensor, processor and memorizer. Chen has specified detailed parameters for the components.

"My job is to realize the functions, perception skills and motion control of the robot with the most optimized circuit and cost," said Chen. "So that it can run smoothly."

The engineers, exploring robot technology, contribute by making robots smarter.

In June 2022, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security announced 18 new occupations to the public. Robot engineering technician was among them.

The strong growth of the robot industry prompted the birth of the new occupation of robot engineering technician.

Robot engineering as major is a highly complex course, integrating subjects such as mechanical engineering, electronic engineering, computer studies, sensing and AI.

In the future, intelligent manufacturing will gradually release the human labor force from positions requiring high-labor intensity and high risks, said Wu Hao, head of operation at a robot industry company in Wuhu. He indicated that human-machine collaborative work will promote the upgrading of production and manufacturing modes.

The annual compound growth rate of China's robot industry has been about 15 percent since 2016, according to a development plan of the country's robot industry during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025). And in 2020, the operating revenue of the robot industry exceeded 100 billion yuan (about 13.99 billion U.S. dollars).

The robot industry is expected to play an important role in the country's economic development, people's lives and social governance, said the development plan.