China robotics firm unveils world's first modular AI service space

Chinese robotics firm AI² Robotics has introduced ZhiCube, the world’s first modular embodied AI service space featuring its AlphaBot 2 humanoid robot. ZhiCube is a customizable unit designed for deployment in commercial, cultural, and tourism venues, with interchangeable modules for coffee, ice cream, entertainment, and retail services. The system leverages AI² Robotics’ GOVLA full-body embodied large model to enable adaptive human–robot collaboration, allowing the robot to perceive its environment, understand tasks, and dynamically adjust roles based on foot traffic and task complexity. For example, during busy periods, the robot collaborates with human staff to manage high-demand tasks, while in specialty services like coffee preparation, humans focus on creativity and robots handle standardized processes. AI² Robotics plans to deploy 1,000 ZhiCube units across China within three years, aiming to establish a scalable urban intelligent infrastructure. The system benefits from extensive real-world testing, with over 50,000 hours of failure-free operation, and