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China's Spring Festival Gala shows off AI, cloud computing, humanoid robots, and more

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Humanoid robots perform the Yanko dance alongside human dancers, January 28, 2025. /CGTN
Humanoid robots perform the Yanko dance alongside human dancers, January 28, 2025. /CGTN

Humanoid robots perform the Yanko dance alongside human dancers, January 28, 2025. /CGTN

The rise of China's AI model, DeepSeek, has garnered significant attention for its innovative and resource-efficient approach to AI development. Meanwhile, this year's Spring Festival Gala showcased a remarkable fusion of traditional art and cutting-edge technology, captivating a global audience.

China's Spring Festival Gala achieved a new record with a total reach of 16.8 billion across all media platforms, integrating numerous high-tech solutions to ensure a smooth and stable broadcast worldwide and to recreate traditional art forms, China Media Group (CMG) said on Tuesday. 

Some of the highlights include the use of technologies such as ultra-high definition, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, 3D vision, and 3D audio. Many of these technological capabilities were used for the first time in the over 40-year history of the Spring Festival Gala. Additionally, some of the shows incorporated AI-driven humanoid robots for dancing, drone matrices for aerial shows, and electric vehicles for light shows.

Humanoid robots dance alongside humans 

The night's most eye-catching and high-tech performance was the robot dance "Yangge Bot." Directed by the renowned 5th-generation filmmaker Zhang Yimou and in collaboration with China's leading robotics company Unitree, 16 humanoid robots took center stage at the Spring Festival Gala. These robots, seamlessly coordinated with 16 human dancers, performed a traditional Yangko dance, a vibrant folk art form from Northeast China, blending cultural heritage with cutting-edge technology.

The 16 humanoid robots belong to Unitree's H1 series, launched in August 2023. Standing at 1.8 meters tall and weighing 47 kilograms, the robots debuted on the Spring Festival Gala stage in just over a year. They had also attended the NVIDIA GTC conference in 2024. 

To ensure a stellar performance, the robots underwent three months of intensive "rehearsal," with their movements designed to meet the dance requirements and executed through AI training. They utilized laser SLAM for precise positioning and automated formation changes, overcoming challenges such as gaps in the stage floor.

Unitree completed the first commercial delivery of the H1 series in October 2023, with each robot priced at around 650,000 yuan (around $90,000). In May 2024, Unitree introduced the G1 series, standing at 1.27 meters tall and weighing approximately 35 kilograms, with a starting price of 99,000 yuan.

However, this is not the first time Unitree's robots have graced the Spring Festival Gala stage. In 2021, Unitree's quadruped robots appeared as dance partners for Andy Lau.

The
The "bullet-time" moment of the martial arts performance "The Pen Writes the Dragon and Snake", January 28, 2025. /CGTN

The "bullet-time" moment of the martial arts performance "The Pen Writes the Dragon and Snake", January 28, 2025. /CGTN

"Bullet-time" moment in live camera

Inspired by Li Bai's poem "A Ballad of Cursive Script," the martial arts performance "The Pen Writes the Dragon and Snake" celebrates the fluid beauty of calligraphy, likening its strokes to the movements of a dragon and a snake. Featuring Donnie Yen, the performance was captured by a 30-camera array, providing stunning acrobatic moments, especially when dancers were tossed into the air. Using 3D vision AI algorithms, real-time 3D point cloud rendering, and intelligent virtual camera techniques, the "bullet-time" effect allowed viewers to witness the dancers suspended in mid-air. This technology, powered by Alibaba Cloud and deployed for the first time in the Spring Festival Gala, offered a unique viewing experience that traditional cameras could not achieve.

A 3D rendering. /CMG
A 3D rendering. /CMG

A 3D rendering. /CMG

AI integration

The gala enhanced its stage performance by integrating AI-generated content (AIGC) technologies powered by Alibaba's Qwen AI model. This technology allowed for the creation of visually stunning effects, such as transforming stage visuals into static oil paintings during the "A Flower Nurtured by Time" performance. AIGC animation generation models were also used to create unique characters, environmental backgrounds, and scene elements for song performances, providing viewers with a fresh and imaginative experience.

On Wednesday, the company released a new version of its Qwen 2.5 AI model, which it claims outperforms the highly acclaimed DeepSeek-V3.

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