Introduction: The nimble dance moves on stage and the competitive battles on the field have become moments of brilliance for robots. Now, these intelligent agents are quietly entering factory floors, playing an increasingly important role on production lines, in inspection lanes, and in hazardous work areas.

The 2025 Global Industrial Internet Conference was particularly impressive, with demonstrations of various robots. Examples included the "Songyi" wheeled humanoid robot capable of autonomous material handling, a two-armed humanoid robot demonstrating brain-eye-hand collaboration to collect water, and an intelligent robot autonomously performing power room inspections.

These robots are no longer simple program executors; they are now autonomous decision-makers equipped with embodied intelligence. They are moving from performance to practical industrial applications, demonstrating the enormous potential of robotics technology's diverse applications.

From industry to services, robots are empowering a wide range of industries.

Today, the application of robots has expanded beyond traditional industrial manufacturing to encompass a wide range of industries. Based on their application areas, they are primarily categorized into three main categories: industrial robots, service robots, and specialized robots.

Industrial robots can be used for manufacturing in structured environments, including handling, palletizing, welding, spraying, assembly, and laser processing, and are widely used in industries such as automotive, electronics, and metalworking.

In my country, industrial robots are primarily used in the 3C electronics and automotive sectors, accounting for 33% and 23% of these applications, respectively, in 2021. Currently, leading companies in the industrial robot sector include UBTECH Robotics, Estun, Siasun Robotics, and Horizon Robotics.

Service robots primarily provide specific services to humans in unstructured environments, covering areas such as household services, medical rehabilitation, and public services (such as agriculture, finance, logistics, and education), requiring a high degree of human-robot interaction.

According to data from OFweek Robotics, my country's service robot production reached 9.214 million units in 2021, a year-on-year increase of 48.9%. Representative service robot companies include Dreame, Roborock Technology, Shoucheng Holdings, Ecovacs, and Tianzhihang.

Specialized robots are used to replace humans in high-risk environments or special working conditions, including military applications, extreme operations, space exploration, deep-sea exploration, and emergency rescue, requiring extremely high reliability and environmental adaptability.

At the same time, robotics technology is experiencing a booming development with multiple technical approaches developing in parallel. In September of this year, Zhang Zhi, Director of the Institute of Intelligent Systems at Harbin Institute of Technology, shared a unique new approach: deeply integrating symbolic and connectionist intelligence to build a set of rule chains, creating technological advantages in environmental perception, decision-making and planning, and motion control.

Also in September, ByteDance's Seed team launched the Robix robot brain, which utilizes a hierarchical robotic system architecture to decouple the "brain" from the "cerebellum," achieving "macro-thinking and micro-execution." This architecture enables robots to flexibly interact with the environment and humans at a high level while ensuring precise execution of actions at a low level.

Nevertheless, "embodied intelligence" remains the most popular area currently. Its core goal is to enable robots to interact with their environment in real time through physical entities, achieving the integration of perception, cognition, decision-making, and action.

Overall, the robotics industry has formed a pattern of parallel development across three major application areas: industry, services, and specialty applications. Driven by innovations such as embodied intelligence and multi-technology integration, it is exhibiting unprecedented diversity and vitality.

Three emerging leaders emerge, pursuing excellence in niche areas

In this thriving ecosystem, UBTECH Robotics, Shoucheng Holdings, and Horizon Robotics have emerged as the industry's new three leaders thanks to their outstanding performance in their respective niches. They represent the forefront of industrial applications and service implementation, and together outline an innovative landscape for the diversified development of China's robotics industry.

Ubtech was included in Morgan Stanley's "Top 100 Humanoid Robots: Mapping the Value of the Humanoid Robot Industry Chain" research report released in February of this year.

Data shows that over the past five years, UBTECH has filed 59 humanoid robot patents in the United States, ranking second globally, behind only Boston Dynamics and far exceeding international giants such as Sony (48) and Google (39).

By the end of June 2024, UBTECH Robotics holds over 2,450 patents, including over 450 overseas patents, nearly 60% of which are invention patents. UBTECH ranks first globally in the number of valid humanoid robot patents.

UBTECH's leadership in hardware capabilities is undeniable. Furthermore, as one of the earliest Chinese companies to develop humanoid robots, UBTECH has partnered with companies such as BYD, Dongfeng Liuzhou Motor, and Geely. Its Walker S series has become the most extensively used industrial humanoid robot in automotive factory training globally.

Horizon Robotics officially entered the advanced driver assistance field with the release of its first automotive-grade chip, the Journey 2, in 2019. From 2021 to 2023, its high-computing chip, the Journey 5, will support the Urban No-Availability (NOA) feature, with cumulative shipments exceeding 5 million units.

According to Gaogong Intelligent Automobile, Horizon Robotics ranked first in the Chinese domestic brand passenger car forward-looking integrated computer (L2 ADAS) computing solution market with a 33.73% share in the first half of 2024.

Furthermore, according to Zos Automotive Research, Horizon Robotics ranked fourth in the Chinese passenger car L2+ and above chip supplier market from January to August 2024, with a 14.7% share and 233,000 installed chips. These chips are primarily installed by brands like Ideal Auto and Fangcheng Leopard, and are used in models like the Ideal L6/7/8/9, Leopard 5, and Song L.

Next is Shoucheng Holdings, which has transformed from a traditional business model to a diversified one. Initially focused on steel-related businesses, Shoucheng Holdings, facing a volatile market, shifted its focus to its parking asset management brand, Yi Parking, and continued to deepen its presence in the "parking + charging" sector, now boasting a nationwide network of smart charging stations.

In its robotics industry development, Shoucheng Holdings is gradually transforming into a full-chain robotics service platform by increasing investment and business development. In September of this year, Shoucheng Holdings even announced the high-profile opening of 20 robotics dealerships.

This series of innovative breakthroughs demonstrates that China's robotics industry has shifted from a technological follower to a leader in specific areas. UBTECH's global patent lead in industrial humanoid robots, Horizon Robotics' dominant market share in the autonomous driving chip market, and Shoucheng Holdings' innovative service robot commercialization model collectively provide Chinese companies with a unique advantage in the global robotics competition.

The rise of these companies not only reflects the overall improvement of China's technological prowess but also signals that China is shifting from a participant to a rule-maker in the global robotics competition.

The global market is accelerating, and Chinese technology is at the core.

As these companies establish competitive advantages in various segments, the influence of China's robotics industry in the global market continues to grow.

According to data from the International Federation of Robotics, global robot sales are projected to increase from US$34.3 billion in 2020 to US$66 billion in 2024, a compound annual growth rate of 17.8%. Among them, the Chinese market has performed particularly well. The market size is expected to expand from US$17.4 billion in 2020 to US$47 billion in 2024, with a compound annual growth rate of 14.3%. my country also maintains its position as the world's largest industrial robot market, with sales reaching 297,000 units in 2022, accounting for 53.7% of global sales.

Furthermore, China's advantages in the robotics industry chain are reflected not only in manufacturing but also in its increasingly sophisticated technological ecosystem and innovative capabilities. From core components (such as servo motors, reducers, and controllers) to complete machine design and integration, and finally to software systems and AI algorithms, Chinese companies are achieving breakthroughs in multiple areas.

A Morgan Stanley research report shows that 73% of the participating companies in the current global humanoid robot industry chain are located in Asia, of which 56% are from China.

This trend not only reflects the accelerated intelligent transformation of China's manufacturing industry but also highlights China's growing core position in the global technological competition.

Manufacturing robot density is a key indicator of automation levels. By 2022, China's manufacturing robot density will have reached 392 units per 10,000 people; previously, in 2021, it reached 322 units per 10,000 people, ranking fifth globally and surpassing the United States for the first time. This figure is expected to rise further to 470 units per 10,000 people in 2025, far exceeding the global average.

Furthermore, humanoid robots have become a focus of attention in various segments of the robotics industry due to their high degree of biomimetic capabilities and broad application prospects.

Currently, robots are widely used in a variety of fields, including automotive manufacturing, electronics assembly, logistics and warehousing, medical rehabilitation, and home services, becoming a key engine driving global industrial upgrading and high-quality economic development.

It is estimated that the Chinese humanoid robot market will reach 12 billion RMB in 2030 and exceed 6 trillion RMB in 2050, with a compound annual growth rate exceeding 30%. This growth is primarily driven by two core trends: accelerated adoption driven by falling costs and the huge demand unleashed by the expansion of application scenarios.

A Morgan Stanley research report also indicates that with the maturity of the supply chain and the expansion of large-scale production, the average selling price (ASP) of humanoid robots will decline by 8% annually, with the bill of materials (BOM) cost decreasing by 11%. This cost reduction will significantly accelerate the adoption of humanoid robots, promoting their integration into more scenarios, including homes, healthcare, and education.

For Chinese technology, 2025 is destined to be an extraordinary year. First, the domestically produced large-scale AI model, DeepSeek R1, achieved astonishing information processing results at a significantly lower training cost than comparable models. The universalization of Chinese humanoid robots has also benefited from these technological breakthroughs, maintaining their global lead. An era truly unique to Chinese technology has begun.