On January 8, 2021, Tencent announced that Dr. Zhang Zhengyou, head of Tencent Robotics X Lab and Tencent AI Lab, became Tencent’s first 17-level researcher/outstanding scientist, and the 17th level is the highest professional rank in Tencent’s history.

　　Dr. Zhang Zhengyou, who won this honor, led the creation of the world's leading robotics laboratory Robotics X, and is committed to advancing the next generation of robotics research with human-robot collaboration.

At present, Robotics X laboratory focuses on the research and application of three general robotics technologies, namely mobile, dexterous operation and intelligent body, and focuses on the research and development of multi-modal mobile robots.

In November 2020, Robotics X released two new developments in the four-legged robot Jamoca and self-balancing wheeled mobile robots that can complete the complex challenges of walking plum blossom piles. The vision continues to advance.

　　Under the leadership of Zhang Zhengyou, Tencent AI Lab has become a leading domestic and world-class enterprise-level artificial intelligence laboratory, dedicated to the basic research and application exploration of full-stack artificial intelligence.

While doing original research, Tencent AI Lab is also exploring applications that combine Tencent's scenarios and business advantages. Its agricultural AI iGrow system, virtual human technology, face recognition system, voice front-end technology, etc. have been developed in Tencent's multiple products and Landed application in business.

　　The research results of Tencent AI Lab not only helped Tencent's own business development, but also provided a huge driving force for industrial upgrading and social development.

During the 2020 epidemic, Tencent applied AI technology to other medical applications such as epidemic prevention and control and pathological screening, and contributed an important technical force to the fight against the new crown epidemic.

In November 2020, the Tencent Cloud (Shen County) Agricultural Digital Economy Industrial Base will open. The iGrow solution developed by Tencent AI Lab will be further researched and applied at the base. AI and the Internet of Things are expected to further free agriculture from relying on the sky. The traditional model has helped agricultural production efficiency to achieve a qualitative leap.

The Go AI "Fine Art" developed by Tencent AI Lab has also renewed its contract with the Chinese National Go Team for three years in 2020, providing assistance to the development of China's Go industry.

　　In addition, Tencent AI Lab is also sharing research results with the community and developers through research papers and open source projects, and is actively cooperating with universities, enterprises and research institutions to jointly explore more possibilities of AI technology.

　　The senior executive vice president of the company and the president of the Technical Engineering Group (TEG) Lu Shan said at the level award ceremony of Dr. Zhang Zhengyou: "Teacher Zhengyou was promoted to T17, the highest professional level in Tencent history, and it can be said to be well-deserved. The phrase'academic influences, industry yields' is not only the slogan of Lab, but also a kind of feelings of technical people. When you are old and talk with children, you can say that this life is not only in academics. We are very good, and we are proud of our achievements.” Lu Shan also promised at the award ceremony that he would continue to fully support the development of Tencent AI Lab and Robotics X. Everyone must have confidence in themselves and be led by Teacher Zhang Continue to move forward to the goal of building a world-class laboratory.

　　Not only has he led the team in Tencent and has achieved rich research results, Dr. Zhang Zhengyou is also a world-renowned artificial intelligence and robotics scientist, with pioneering contributions in many fields.

In 2013, Zhang Zhengyou won the IEEE Helmholtz Time Test Award because of the "Zhang's Calibration Method". This camera calibration method is also widely adopted all over the world.

In top international conferences and magazines, Zhang Zhengyou has published more than 250 papers, with more than 51,000 citations and more than 200 patents.

　　In 2020, Zhang Zhengyou proposed the new concept of Integrated Physical-Digital World (IPhD).

It combines current prospects in the fields of AI, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR), as well as the Internet and the Internet of Things.

On this basis, a vision of achieving general artificial intelligence through intertwined and co-evolved software and hardware, virtual and reality, human and artificial intelligence, and robots is also on paper.

Under the framework of the virtual-real integrated world, the four development directions of reality virtualization, virtual reality, holographic Internet, and intelligent execution will become important guidance for the future development of Tencent AI Lab and Robotics X Lab.

　　In recent years, Tencent has attached great importance to the fields of basic science and cutting-edge technology, and has continuously increased its investment. It has built a matrix of cutting-edge technology laboratories within the company, covering key areas such as artificial intelligence, robotics, 5G, edge computing, IOT, hardware and multimedia technology. Attracted a group of well-known scientists at home and abroad, including Zhang Zhengyou, as the head of the laboratory.

　　Almost at the same time as the company’s cutting-edge investment, since 2016, Ma Huateng, Chairman and CEO of Tencent and founder of the Tencent Foundation, has donated to the China Future Science Award and the U.S. Science Breakthrough Award and West Lake University and other projects.

On the 20th anniversary of Tencent’s founding, Ma Huateng and Peking University professor Rao Yi, together with a dozen well-known scientists such as Yang Zhenning, jointly launched the "Science Exploration Award". The 50 young scientific workers will receive a total of 1.5 from Tencent. 100 million yuan bonus.

　　Earlier, Ma Huateng said in an interview with the media, “The vast majority of Internet companies are currently application-oriented technology companies. In the future, these companies must evolve into technology-driven companies. Tencent will continue to focus on the exploration of basic scientific research and hope to be more forward-looking. Look farther." (Xiaojie)