Wuhan's robot trainers speak of small roles in big task

Can humanoid robots handle real-life tasks in supermarkets or coffee shops? Yes — but only after extensive, repetitive training.

In Wuhan, Central China's Hubei province, a group of young robot trainers, most of them born after 2000, are helping with that training. At the Hubei Humanoid Robot Innovation Center, they spend hours guiding robots through simulated everyday scenarios, teaching them how to grab, carry and deliver items.

China Daily reporter Yan An spoke with these young trainers and was struck by their perspectives on what may seem like dull, repetitive work.

"What we do may seem trivial," one trainer said, "but if we keep doing small things well, they can add up to something big."

That belief was also to be found at the 2026 World Youth Development Forum, which wraps up on Wednesday in Wuhan. There, young people from around the world contributed to solutions of global challenges such as poverty reduction and sustainable development.

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