In Qingdao's Laoshan District, a humanoid robot data collection and training center has become a workplace for young adults born after the year 2000. Among them is Chen Yunlong, born in 2005, who wears VR equipment and uses a motion-sensing controller to guide robots through grasping actions. He and over 40 peers in their late teens and early twenties spend their days teaching robots as if guiding them through school.
The training facility is divided into three main sections: industrial manufacturing, smart home applications, and commercial services. It features seven real-world scenarios and 28 data collection workstations. Data collection specialists at the site train robots to perform tasks such as supermarket restocking, kitchen operations, and sorting automotive parts. The standardized motion data generated from these sessions are cleaned and annotated, eventually serving as instructional material for autonomous robot training.
"Teaching robots is like teaching a child—it requires patience," Chen explained. A simple grasping motion may require dozens of repetitions. If the robot's gripper misses the target by even a centimeter, he must readjust the controller's angle. Thanks to millisecond-level coordination over a 5G-A network, each of his movements is precisely recorded into the robot's memory.
The 1,500-square-meter training center currently houses 31 robots. Young data collection specialists like Chen act as foundational instructors in robotics development—imparting skill and experience into artificial intelligence through perseverance, while also carving out their own roles within this emerging industry.
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