The University of Macau (UM) and Unitree Robotics have established a joint laboratory for intelligent robotics in Hengqin. On October 15, the Plaque Unveiling Ceremony of HUMRI (Hengqin UM Research Institute)–Unitree Joint Laboratory for Intelligent Robotics was held at the first phase of the Macao-Hengqin International Education (University) Town, alongside the second session of the UM Macao-Hengqin Lecture Series. 

The event brought together more than 200 participants, including representatives from tech companies and research institutions, as well as faculty members and students from higher education institutions.

Leveraging Hengqin’s proximity to Macao and the cooperation zone’s policy framework for cross-border collaboration, the two sides will combine UM’s strengths in interdisciplinary research in AI, engineering and related fields with Unitree Robotics’ industrial expertise in technological development and commercialization. Together, they will advance innovation in core robotics technologies and their practical applications. Unitree Robotics has also donated humanoid robot research equipment to support the joint laboratory’s research testing, teaching and training activities.

At the UM Macao-Hengqin Lecture, Ackles Chen, co-founder of Unitree Robotics, shed light on the company’s development from quadruped robots to humanoid robots. He also introduced its research, development and application of core robotic components and motion control technologies, sharing insights on topics such as robot interaction with the physical world and large-scale, high-quality data collection. Participants exchanged views on the development of embodied AI, application prospects for intelligent robots, and industry-university-research collaboration.