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Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
SHANGHAI, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) — The 1.75-meter-tall, 32-kilogram humanoid robot "Xueba 01" (Excellent Student 01), wearing a light blue short-sleeved shirt, was recently accepted as the first robot student in the doctoral program at Shanghai Theatre Institute (STI).
Over the next four years, he will be studying Digital Performance Design at the Faculty of Performing Arts.
The Xueba 01 project, launched by STI and Shanghai Polytechnic University (SPU), aims to develop experimental learning methods for a new generation of embodied agents in areas such as multimodal interaction, artistic expression, and cognitive growth.
During the four-year training, “Xueba 01” will systematically study the basic movements, exercise routines, and performance techniques of traditional Chinese operas.
The SHPU team will be responsible for technical training and basic knowledge for the robot, while the STI team will be honing its artistic skills.
“Xueba 01 is an optimized version of Xinzhe No. 2, which took third place in this year’s Beijing Half Marathon with humanoid robots,” said Li Qingdu, executive director of the Institute of Machine Intelligence at the Shanghai School of Management and co-director of the Xueba 01 project.
According to him, the robot features a world-leading ultra-light biomimetic tendon structure and realistic facial technology. It is capable of performing subtle movements, over 100 human-like facial expressions, and real-time interaction.
Li Qingdu explained that the robot can flexibly adjust its height and appearance, operating continuously for over six hours—even in high-intensity conditions. It can also adapt its performance in real time based on audience reaction, offering a nearly limitless range of performance styles.
"At this stage, Xueba 01 can 'perform' parts from Henan, Shanghai, and Beijing operas, but its movements still lack fluidity and aesthetic appeal. We need to teach it to learn from professional performers," he said, adding that they are using motion capture technology to record the movements, expressions, and gestures of human performers and then creating training datasets.
Li Qingdu further noted that in the future, the robot will be able to learn directly from video recordings, which will provide richer data and help create more natural performances.
SITU Rector Huang Changyong noted that the robot's main mission is to explore the intersection of art and technology, particularly in exploring how traditional Chinese art forms can be integrated with artificial intelligence.
“Our teaching model combines technical sophistication and humanistic inspiration,” said STI Professor Yang Qingqing, one of the scientific directors of the Xueba 01 project.
"Technically, we're collaborating with the SHPU team to improve the robot's performance. Regarding the human aspects, we're focusing more on discussion and inspiration," the professor said.
“For example, I could explain to Xueba 01 the character’s background, motivations, and emotional layers, and it would use its language processing technology to interpret my instructions and generate appropriate performance suggestions.”
Yan Qingqing believes that this initiative provides valuable insights for arts education in China, breaking down, for example, interdisciplinary barriers and emphasizing the need for contemporary cultural workers to combine technological literacy and interdisciplinary thinking with traditional skills and humanities knowledge.
According to the professor, the Xueba 01 project will help promote digital preservation and innovative development of theatrical arts, setting an example of using advanced technologies to preserve and popularize cultural heritage such as Chinese opera.
“Technology can serve as both a new medium and a tool in artistic creation,” Yang Qingqing emphasized. -0-
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