Human puppeteers train China's humanoid robot army from Shenzhen
workers at shenzhen's io-ai tech control humanoids via vr to automate factory and retail tasks, gathering the data needed to eventually make these bots autonomous.
io-ai tech is using human operators equipped with vr headsets and motion-tracking gear to remotely control humanoid robots for tasks ranging from convenience store stocking to clothes manufacturing. this teleoperation approach not only automates blue-collar work immediately but also collects the precise physical interaction data required to train future robotic foundation models. with partnerships like jack sewing machines, the startup is refining prototypes in shenzhen's manufacturing hub to bridge the gap between human dexterity and autonomous robot stability. the strategy suggests that while general robotics models are the end goal, human-in-the-loop data collection remains the most viable path forward for complex manipulation tasks.