Robot in China to study in doctorate programme
Whether it excites or scares you, a future with humanoid robots integrating into society seems more and more plausible, with current technological advancements.
Last Sunday (27 July), China’s first robot doctorate student received an admission letter from Shanghai Theatre Academy at the 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference held in Shanghai.
The bionic robot Xueba 01, which was also issued a virtual student ID at the event, will be joining the Department of Stage Design’s full-time, four-year Drama and Film programme.
It is set to report to campus on 14 Sept, Shangguan News reported.
Xueba 01 also received a warm welcome from the academy, which reportedly posted on its official WeChat account: “We heard that the “academic master” is coming and we are all waiting.”
Renowned artiste to mentor robot doctorate student
Xueba 01’s physical body is an improved version of Walker 2, a humanoid robot developed by a team from the University of Shanghai, which won third place in the first Beijing Humanoid Robot Half Marathon set earlier this year.
Meanwhile, its physical attributes were designed by Professor Yang Qingqing, a renowned artiste from the Shanghai Theatre Academy, who will also be mentoring the robot.
Professor Yang reportedly said:
Xueba 01 and I will be partners in exploring unknown areas together, and we will be leading the conversation on the boundary between traditional opera and artificial intelligence.
“I will capture the essence of drama and digital performance with the sensitivity of an artist, and I will rigorously construct the experimental framework,” he added.
Source: Shangguan News
Meanwhile, Xueba o1 introduced itself as “an AI artist who integrates the most advanced embodied intelligence technology”.
“I’m specially born for drama performance,” it added.
“Simply put, I am a futuristic opera disciple who writes operas with code, dances with servo motors, and sings, recites, and acts with emotional algorithms.”
Doctorate theatre programme merges arts and sciences
Shanghai Theatre Academy’s Drama and Film programme is interdisciplinary, merging theatre, computer science, and cognitive science, crafting a new approach to arts in the digital age.
In its courses in opera, acting, directing, screenwriting, and stage design, Xueba 01 is expected to conduct theoretical research and engage in technical and creative practice.
To guide Xueba in learning and social interaction, the university will establish a joint mentoring team and an evaluation system for the integration of arts and science in education.
Source: Shangguan News
Besides Xueba 01’s admission into the university, Zhiyuan Technology also donated the Yuanzheng A2 robot to Shanghai Theatre Academy on the same day.
Through this partnership, they aim to digitally transform drama education through providing hardware, algorithm, and data support.
During the event, two robots and four students majoring in musical theatre also performed different movements, including dancing, using real-time motion interaction.
Also read: ‘Follow me home’: Robot persuades 12 others to leave Shanghai showroom in bizarre AI ‘kidnapping’
‘Follow me home’: Robot persuades 12 others to leave Shanghai showroom in bizarre AI ‘kidnapping’
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Featured image adapted from Shangguan News.
