On October 24, the 2026 World Young Scientists Summit Forum on Embodied AI and Robotics Applications was held in Wenzhou. ZHANG Yueying, Vice Mayor of Wenzhou, WENG Jingnong, Secretary-General of the Asia Simulation Federation and Professor at Beihang University, joined experts and scholars from China and abroad, young researchers, and industry representatives to discuss innovations in embodied AI and its industrial applications.

Group photo of the guests before the forum

The forum was co-organized by the International Innovation Institute, Beihang University, Hangzhou (Beihang University International Innovation College); the Hangzhou Research Institute of Xidian University; Ningbo Oriental Institute of Technology; and the Asia Simulation Federation. It was co-hosted by the Youth Working Committee of the Chinese Association for Simulation and the Youth Working Committee of the Chinese Association for Artificial Intelligence.

WANG Kunyu, a postdoctoral researcher at the International Simulation Technology Innovation Center of Beihang University’s International Innovation Institute, served as the forum moderator.

 WANG Kunyu served as the forum moderator.

Opening Ceremony

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Artificial intelligence is rapidly moving from the digital world into the physical world. Built around three core components—the “brain, cerebellum, and body”—embodied AI is transforming how robots perceive, understand, make decisions, and act, creating new opportunities in manufacturing, healthcare, and public services. Focusing on key technologies such as modeling and simulation, digital twins, advanced control, and AI algorithms, the forum featured product launches, keynote presentations, panel discussions, and demonstrations to explore how embodied AI can move from cutting-edge research into real-world applications.

At the Forum

At the opening of the forum, ZHANG Yueying, Vice Mayor of Wenzhou, noted that the city is accelerating the integration of artificial intelligence with the real economy. Wenzhou’s strong manufacturing base and diverse application scenarios provide favorable conditions for training, testing, and refining embodied AI technologies. She expressed hope for closer cooperation with ASIASIM and other partners to better align technological advances with the needs of Wenzhou’s industries and enable more new technologies and products to be tested and applied in the city.

Opening Remarks by Vice Mayor ZHANG Yueying

WENG Jingnong, Secretary-General of ASIASIM, emphasized that modeling and simulation are essential to the development of embodied AI, providing reliable environments for robot training, testing, and validation. ASIASIM will continue to promote international academic exchange and collaboration among young researchers, deepen the integration of artificial intelligence and simulation technologies, and connect the entire technology chain, from advanced perception and intelligent algorithms to simulation validation and real-world industrial applications.

Remarks by Secretary-General WENG Jingnong

Yalong Intelligent Equipment Group then held a humanoid robot product launch. XU Zhiheng, the group’s Chief Scientist, introduced the YL-R1B wheeled humanoid robot and its application solutions. Focusing on how to build and use robots, he demonstrated the robot’s capabilities in mapping and localization, object recognition, and dexterous grasping. He also presented potential applications in industrial training, logistics sorting, and smart elderly care, highlighting efforts to integrate product development with engineering talent training.

Humanoid Robot Product Launch by Yalong Intelligent Equipment Group

Dr. XU Zhiheng Presents the Product

Keynote Presentations

The forum featured eight keynote presentations by experts from China and abroad, covering world models, intelligent control, industrial foundation models, digital twins, intelligent interaction, health monitoring, multimodal artificial intelligence, and 3D intelligence.

ZENG Wenjun | World Models: The Foundation for Future Embodied AI

Vice President ZENG Wenjun delivers a keynote presentation

ZENG Wenjun, Vice President of Ningbo Eastern Institute of Technology and Foreign Member of the Canadian Academy of Engineering, explained how world models use spatial perception, interaction, and generation to predict the consequences of actions, providing robots with training data, decision-making evaluation, and action support. He identified the limited availability of real-world physical data as a major challenge and noted that world models could support robot learning and training by generating diverse scenarios.

Hamid Reza Karimi | Data-Driven Methods for Active Noise Control Systems

Professor Hamid Reza Karimi delivers a keynote presentation

Hamid Reza Karimi, Professor at Politecnico di Milano and Member of Academia Europaea, presented research on data-driven methods for active noise control systems. He discussed how data can be integrated with control methods, offering insights into the application of intelligent control in specific systems.

REN Lei | Industrial Foundation Models, AI Agents, and Digital Lineages: Driving the Future of Industry

Professor REN Lei delivers a keynote presentation

REN Lei, Professor at Beihang University and recipient of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, addressed challenges in industrial applications, including limited access to proprietary data and stringent requirements for model reliability and real-time performance. He proposed an approach that combines large and small models and highlighted the concept of “digital lineages”, which involves creating diverse industrial scenarios to provide robots with training environments beyond individual digital twins, thereby improving their ability to adapt to different tasks.

Björn Johansson | Real Digital Twins of People and Industrial Resources for Sustainable Production

Professor Björn Johansson delivers a keynote presentation

Björn Johansson, Professor at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, expanded the scope of digital twin research to include people and industrial resources involved in production. His presentation explored real digital twins and sustainable production, focusing on the relationship between digital modeling and production systems.

Ryad Chellali | Robotics and Artificial Intelligence for Intelligent Interaction: Current State, Trends, and Future Applications

Professor Ryad Chellali delivers a keynote presentation

Ryad Chellali, Senior Scientist at the Italian Institute of Technology and Professor at Nanjing Tech University, reviewed current research, emerging trends, and future applications of robotics and artificial intelligence, with a focus on intelligent interaction. He explored how advances in AI could enhance the interaction capabilities of robots.

Frederik Banis | Knowing What It Does Not Know: Trustworthy Boundaries of Adaptive Health Monitoring in the Age of AI

Researcher Frederik Banis delivers a keynote presentation

Frederik Banis, a researcher at the Gongshu District Institute of Future Technology in Hangzhou, focused on adaptive health monitoring, examining the capabilities and trustworthiness of perception systems. His presentation explored how systems can recognize the limits of their own knowledge and addressed reliability challenges in applying AI to health monitoring.

Mohammad Monir Uddin | Multimodal AI for Precision Medicine: From Biomedical Data to Clinical Decision Support

Professor Mohammad Monir Uddin delivers a keynote presentation

Mohammad Monir Uddin, Professor at North South University in Bangladesh and President of the Bangladesh Society for Modeling and Simulation, discussed research on multimodal AI for precision medicine, focusing on the relationship between biomedical data and clinical decision-making. He examined how data analysis can support clinical decisions.

ZHU Wentao | GPT-6 Astra: Exploring the Frontiers of 3D Intelligence, Embodied AI, and Beyond

Assistant Professor ZHU Wentao delivers a keynote presentation

ZHU Wentao, Assistant Professor at Ningbo Eastern Institute of Technology, presented on GPT-6 Astra, extending the discussion to 3D intelligence and embodied AI. He explored the connections between these capabilities, understanding the physical world, and interacting with it, while outlining potential directions for future research.

Together, the eight presentations covered a broad range of topics, from foundational models to applications in control, manufacturing, and healthcare. During the conference, WENG Jingnong, Secretary-General of ASIASIM, presented certificates to the keynote speakers and joined them for a group photo.

WENG Jingnong, Secretary-General of ASIASIM, presents certificates to the keynote speakers.

Roundtable Discussion

The roundtable discussion was moderated by LAI Liyuanjun, Professor at Beihang University. The panel brought together ZHAO Yifan of Ningbo Eastern Institute of Technology, JIANG Linhua of Xidian University, XIAO Ruoxiu of University of Science and Technology Beijing, WANG Shuo of Beijing Weizhuo Zhiyuan Medical Technology Co., Ltd., and HUANG Rongjun of the Industrial College of the Beijing Innovation Center for Humanoid Robotics. They discussed the current state of embodied AI, the challenges hindering its practical application, and future directions for development.

Roundtable discussion

A central question emerged: how can robots move beyond performing well in demonstrations to becoming genuinely useful in real-world applications? ZHAO Yifan pointed out that the lack of high-quality data, the gap between simulation and reality, and safety risks arising from rare failures continue to constrain industrial applications. JIANG Linhua emphasized that algorithms must be adapted to specific hardware and application scenarios, and that simulation-based training must be combined with validation on physical robots. Drawing on medical practice, XIAO Ruoxiu discussed differences in data across medical departments and the value of preoperative simulation. WANG Shuo noted that successful commercialization requires teams with expertise in both technology and its practical applications, while HUANG Rongjun stressed the importance of developing multidisciplinary talent and accumulating data from real-world scenarios.

Panelists exchange views during the discussion

Looking ahead, the panel focused on collaboration between large and small models, coordination between hardware and software, and human–robot collaboration. The proposed approach was to use general-purpose models to coordinate tasks and specialized models to ensure precision, while continuously collecting data from real-world applications to improve system capabilities. Following the discussion, Vice President ZENG Wenjun presented certificates to the panelists and joined them for a group photo.

Vice President ZENG Wenjun presents certificates to the roundtable panelists

Beyond the main conference hall, parallel activities took place in Hall Jiahe 2, including a young researchers’ academic poster session, research highlights and flash talks, and displays of industry technologies and products. Teams from Shuyou Technology, Qingkui Intelligent Manufacturing, Quanjin Technology, Yalong Intelligent Equipment, ASIASIM, and other organizations participated in the exhibition. Materials from the Beijing Innovation Center for Humanoid Robotics were also displayed in a dedicated area, giving participants a firsthand look at technological achievements and providing opportunities to exchange ideas about practical application needs.

Exhibition highlights featuring participating teams and display materials

The forum concluded with discussions and reflections on the topics explored throughout the event. From world models to robotic hardware, and from simulation-based training to real-world applications, participants shared a common goal: making embodied AI more reliable, trustworthy, verifiable, and practical, so that research outcomes can better address industrial needs. The forum provided a platform for young scientists and industry representatives to exchange ideas and build partnerships, while creating new connections to support the application of embodied AI in Wenzhou and the wider Yangtze River Delta region.

Young Talent at Work in International Organizations

Young staff members from the ASIASIM Secretariat worked alongside student volunteers to support the forum, playing a key role in coordination, guest services, and on-site operations. Through this experience, the young team strengthened their organizational and communication skills and gained a deeper understanding of international academic exchange and the development of the global scientific community. By integrating youth development into the organization of its academic activities, ASIASIM provides young people with opportunities to participate in exchanges, take on responsibilities, and develop their professional skills, bringing together the next generation of talent to advance simulation technology and international collaboration.

ASIASIM Secretary-General WENG Jingnong with Secretariat staff

ASIASIM Secretariat interns and student volunteers at the conference