It’s no secret that virtual companions have become all the rage lately, attracting people who like them for their empathy, positive comments, helpful suggestions and non-judgmental nature. But translating that to an emerging world of embodied robots has proven much more challenging, requiring far more complex physical reactions in the real world than simple words and images on a screen.
近来，虚拟陪伴者大受欢迎已不是秘密。人们喜欢它们，是因为它们能表现同理心，给出正面回应和有用建议，而且不会评判对方。但要把这套模式搬到新兴的具身机器人世界，难度显然高得多，因为现实世界需要的身体反应远比屏幕上的文字和影像复杂。
Despite that, Ubtech Robotics Corp. Ltd. (9880.HK) made a splash this week by saying it could overcome such issues with its series of UWorld U1 life-sized humanoid robots. The products immediately caught the attention of investors, who bid up Ubtech’s shares as much as 18% the day of the announcement, before the stock closed up 7.5%.
尽管如此，深圳市优必选科技股份有限公司（9880.HK）本周仍声称，可凭借其UWorld U1等身人形机器人系列克服这些问题，因而引起市场关注。产品发布后随即吸引投资者目光，优必选股价在公告当日一度被推高最多18%，收盘仍涨7.5%。
But talking up a product that will cost between 119,800 yuan and 990,000 yuan, or the equivalent of $16,500 to $146,000 is one thing. Delivering something people will pay that much for is another, especially if the products aren’t quite as lifelike and comforting as their virtual equivalents. That reality seemed to quickly sink in with investors, as Ubtech’s stock gave back all the gains and more the next day, closing down about 10%.
不过，宣传一款售价介乎11.98万元至99万元、相当于1.65万至14.6万美元的产品是一回事；真正交付一款让人愿意花这笔钱购买的产品，则是另一回事。尤其是当这些产品未必像虚拟陪伴者那样逼真、令人感到安慰时，挑战更大。投资者似乎很快意识到这一点，优必选股价翌日不但回吐全部涨幅，更收跌约10%。