This humanoid robot is pursuing a PhD in Chinese opera
Xueba 01 just became the world's first humanoid robot to start a PhD in Drama and Film at Shanghai Theatre Academy, focusing on traditional Chinese opera.
Announced July 27, this is where AI meets ancient art.
Standing at 1.75m and weighing just 30kg, Xueba has run
Built by University of Shanghai for Science and Technology with DroidUp Robotics, Xueba stands at 1.75m and weighs just 30kg.
It's already run a half-marathon (and placed third!), but now it's diving into a four-year opera program under Professor Yang Qingqing.
Xueba takes classes, rehearses with humans, and learns everything
Xueba takes classes, rehearses with humans, and learns everything from stage performance to scriptwriting and set design.
Its lifelike silicone skin lets it copy classic opera gestures like Mei Lanfang's "orchid fingers," sparking real conversations with classmates.
Some students wonder if a robot can truly feel the art—Xueba jokes that if it fails, it might get downgraded or end up as a museum piece.