Chinese corporation Midea Groupbest known for its home appliances, has unveiled a new generation of industrial robots that can do work faster and efficiently than a human. The six-armed robot MIRO U was shown at the Greater Bay Area New Economy Forum. The development was a significant step towards deep automation of factories. The portal reported this SCMP.

Not a copy of a person, but a working tool

MIRO U only partially resembles a person. It has a head and torso to match the height of common work areas, but the similarities end there. Instead of two arms, the robot has six bionic limbs, each of which is controlled separately. This allows him to simultaneously perform several operations at once, for example, transferring parts, assembling components and securing elements.

The robot is mounted on an axial base and can rotate 360 ​​degrees in place. Additionally, it is equipped with a vertical lifting system, which makes it universal for different sections of the conveyor.

Why is he faster than people?

According to Wei Chang, vice president and technical director of Midea Group, when developing MIRO U, engineers deliberately abandoned the idea of ​​​​full human-likeness.

“MIRO U’s core value lies in going beyond mere copycat form and achieving leaps in operational efficiency in industrial settings,” he said.

The robot’s lower limbs are designed to handle heavy components and objects, while the upper limbs are designed for precision operations where accuracy and stability are important. Thanks to quick tool changes and the ability to perform several tasks in parallel, MIRO U can replace several workers or a whole set of specialized machines at once.

At the presentation, Chang called the development “super-humanoid,” emphasizing that this is not just a technology demonstration, but a practical solution for factories.

From exhibition to real production

Midea has already begun the transition from testing to pilot operation. In the near future, MIRO U is planned to be used at the Midea Wuxi plant in Jiangsu province, where premium washing machines are produced. The company expects that after the robot is fully integrated, the changeover speed of production lines will increase by approximately 30%.

Meila’s compact bipedal robots are expected to appear in stores by 2026 and will assist customers and demonstrate equipment.

According to Wei Chang, MIRO U has become the third generation of such machines and the first robot that surpasses humans in physical capabilities, while being able to work in production places originally designed for people, without their restructuring.