VLA models powering physical AI

In this episode, I speak with Georg Stieler, Asia Managing Director and Head of Robotics and Automation at Stieler, a global technology consulting firm. He’s a leading expert on robotics in China with over a decade of experience based in Shanghai.

Key takeaways:

• Know-how for robotics applications is now flowing from China to the West. Previously, Western and Japanese firms brought automation expertise to China. But now this flow of knowledge has flipped, especially EVs and batteries.
• China’s robotics market is also flipping. Made in China 2025 was a huge market opportunity for foreign robotics firms. But now they’re being challenged by Chinese players who are moving into global markets.
• Chinese robotics firms won in newer and simpler segments first like “cobots” (collaborative robots) and mobile robots, then moved up the industry ladder. The pandemic gave Chinese firms an opportunity to gain market share.
• The EV and electronics industries caused a step-change in the pace of production. Chinese manufacturers have accelerated development cycles, driving an acceleration in the global auto industry.
• Humanoid robots are part of China’s push into “physical AI.” China has an edge in robotics supply chains. A crucial factor will be the development of vision-language-action (VLA) models that power the “brains” of robots.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Georg Stieler

00:43 Background working on robotics in China

04:52 Changes in China's robotics and industrial automation

09:08 The shift to EVs and industrial robotics

14:49 Which areas of robotics is China making progress in?

17:34 How the pandemic changed China's industrial robotics

21:15 Key players in China's industrial automation industry

27:18 The rise of China's humanoid robots

35:39 VLA models and training data

38:46 China's robotics supply chains: brain vs. body

43:17 Geopolitics and robotics supply chains

45:25 Future trends in Chinese robotics and industrial automation

49:19 The importance of systems integrators

53:57 Learn more about Georg Stieler's work

Follow Georg Stieler on Twitter / X and LinkedIn

Georg Stieler’s recent publications:

• The Robot Report: China experiences physical AI surge — and how the U.S. should respond
• The Robot Report: iREX 2025: From programmed to perceptive
• The Robot Report: CIIF 2024 shows major robotics trends in China

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