Westlake Robotics Unveils GAE: A Breakthrough “Shadow Function” AI That Lets Robots Mirror Human Movement in Real Time

Embodied AI startup Westlake Robotics, in collaboration with Westlake University, has announced a major innovation in human–robot interaction: GAE (General Action Expert) — an advanced “Shadow Function” AI model designed to generate robot actions that mimic a handler’s movements in real time.

GAE represents a new frontier in motion intelligence for humanoid and service robots. By translating human physical motion directly into robotic action, it allows robots to shadow their human operators with precision and fluidity — essentially learning and adapting movement patterns through observation rather than manual programming.

The “Shadow Function” enables seamless real-time control where the robot acts as a dynamic physical extension of its human counterpart. This paves the way for rapid training, remote collaboration, and enhanced safety in industrial, medical, and consumer robotics applications.

Westlake Robotics’ partnership with Westlake University reflects a growing trend of deep academic–commercial collaboration driving China’s embodied AI sector. The company’s focus on bridging motor intelligence and perception-based learning aligns with the national push toward general-purpose humanoid robotics and human–AI synergy.

As humanoid robots edge closer to mass deployment, technologies like GAE could become foundational — allowing machines not only to think and reason like humans, but to move like them too.

About Westlake Robotics

Based in Hangzhou, Westlake Robotics is an emerging leader in embodied AI research and robotic motion intelligence. The company focuses on developing adaptive control systems that integrate perception, cognition, and action to advance the capabilities of humanoid and service robots.