China's top electric vehicle maker BYD is conducting a new mass recruitment drive for robotics talent to staff its embodied intelligence (EI) unit, in a sign that the company is doubling down on robot-related research.
The Shenzhen-based company posted a global recruitment ad on the Chinese social media platform WeChat, describing job openings for 10 types of senior engineers in areas including sensory algorithms, robotics, and software. BYD did not specify how many people it will recruit.
The company did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.
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The jobs are open to fresh graduates with master's or doctorate degrees in mechanics, automation, computation, mathematics and electronics information. Workers can be posted in Shenzhen, Hefei or Changsha.
BYD's EI research team, created in 2022, is engaged in developing various types of robotic bodies and systems, with a stated goal of improving robots' decision-making capabilities and advancing EI applications in industrial use.
Robotic arms paint a car at the BYD's auto plant in Xian, in Shaanxi province, on December 25, 2019. Picture taken December 25, 2019. Photo: Reuters alt=Robotic arms paint a car at the BYD's auto plant in Xian, in Shaanxi province, on December 25, 2019. Picture taken December 25, 2019. Photo: Reuters>
The team has already developed various types of collaborative robots, mobile robots, and humanoid robots, among other products, according to BYD.
EI, which enables machine systems to interact with physical environments, is the technology behind humanoid robots, and BYD is one of the Chinese Big Tech firms increasing investment in the field.
As an industrial giant with state-of-art manufacturing, BYD is trying to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics into its products. Founder Wang Chuanfu said last month that the company would invest 100 billion yuan (US$13.7 billion) into integrating AI with automotive technology.
BYD last month announced recruiting for its logistics robot team.
China has surpassed Germany and Japan in adoption of industrial robots, according to the latest report from the International Federation of Robotics, after years of pushing for greater use of automation in manufacturing.
Local government officials across China have rushed to introduce policies that incentivise the deployment of robots, especially humanoid robots, as policymakers in Beijing recently showed commitment to the industry at the tone-setting central economic work conference.