Reports have emerged that Chinese humanoid (human-shaped robot) companies have succeeded in securing mass orders and are entering mass production. The Chinese robotics industry sees this year as the landmark year for humanoid mass production. To commercialize humanoids fully, reducing weight to enhance mobility and energy efficiency is crucial, and the application of high-functional lightweight materials in some components is starting to open up the related market.
According to the Chinese newspaper Kechuangban Daily on the 14th, leading Chinese humanoid companies AgiBot (智元机器人) and Unitree (宇树科技) recently secured mass production contracts worth a total of 124 million yuan (approximately 23.9 billion won).
The two companies received orders from a subsidiary of China's largest telecommunications company, China Mobile (中国移动), with AgiBot supplying life-sized humanoids worth 78 million yuan (approximately 15 billion won) and Unitree providing small humanoids and robotic hands worth 46.05 million yuan (approximately 8.9 billion won).
According to reports, AgiBot and Unitree are currently the most noteworthy humanoid companies in China. AgiBot is developing general-purpose robots that are the same size as actual humans and has three robot product families: Yuan Zheng (远征), Jing Ling (精灵), and Ling Xi (灵犀). These can be used in various fields including manufacturing, logistics, science, and education as well as various interaction services.
Unitree has a product line that includes small humanoids and quadruped robots. It showcased its technological prowess at a humanoid fighting competition recently broadcast by state-run CCTV. The company’s annual revenue has surpassed 1 billion yuan (approximately 192.4 billion won), achieving profitability.
As a result, this year is expected to mark the beginning of large-scale humanoid mass production in China. Qiaofeng, co-director of the AI Ethics Research Center at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, said to Kechuangban Daily, 'In the humanoid field, there is still no dominant player, but during the 15th five-year plan period, it will enter a new phase where the wheat is separated from the chaff.' He noted that 'humanoids will become a major industry for China, leading the global supply chain like electric vehicles in the future.'
Meanwhile, the market related to 'lightweighting,' which is key to the commercialization of humanoids, is also opening rapidly. According to the Chinese securities industry, humanoid lightweighting can be divided into two main directions: 'structural lightweighting,' which reduces weight by optimizing the body and joint structure, and 'material lightweighting,' which reduces weight by applying lightweight new materials. While structural lightweighting remains in its early stages due to high difficulty, material lightweighting is relatively feasible and productive, with some components already entering the early stages.
According to Minxiong Securities, notable lightweight materials include polyaryletherketone (PEEK), polyamide (PA), and magnesium alloys. Chinese robot companies are focusing on reducing the weight of robot parts and lowering energy consumption based on these materials, thereby enhancing battery efficiency and improving mobility. In response, Chinese new material corporations are increasing their PEEK raw material production capacity, while magnesium alloy processing companies are establishing divisions specialized in designing parts for robots.
Minxiong Securities forecasts that the robot market in China will reach 10 trillion yuan (approximately 1,925 trillion won) after 2045, stating, 'Under central government guidance, local governments are also announcing industrial nurturing policies,' and adds, 'The expansion of the robot market will stimulate material demand.'