Robots' All-Star Lineup: A Gathering of Hundreds of Companies, Wang Xingxing: Going Public Is Like Taking the College Entrance Examination

As a journalist who has covered many robot conferences, I must say that this year's World Robot Conference was particularly impressive. The robots on display have become increasingly sophisticated, moving away from mere demonstrations of technical prowess and towards more realistic scenarios.

The conference featured hundreds of companies participating in the exhibition, including nearly a hundred publicly listed companies. Many of these companies showcased their latest products, including some that were globally premiering. This reflects the rapid development of China's robotics industry.

From my observations, the Chinese robotics industry is moving from "visible" to "usable". On one hand, products are evolving from single-functionality to multi-capability, and from single-machine operations to group intelligence. On the other hand, technical dimensions are shifting from mechanical responses to proactive prediction, and ability dimensions are moving from precision-efficiency to general intelligence.

This new trend is gaining momentum and becoming a key driving force for many participating companies. In some areas of the exhibition, I saw robots that could interact with visitors through time-space dialogue. Although there were still some limitations in terms of response speed and facial expression, this was one of the most impressive technical demonstrations I've ever seen.

In addition to physical intelligence, some companies showcased "off-body" intelligence technologies and products. One company demonstrated how its robots had achieved predictive capabilities through the use of large models. For example, when a customer mentions being thirsty, the system automatically sends water without waiting for explicit instructions. This combination of on-body and off-body intelligence enables robots to achieve full-cycle AI integration.

U树科技 was one of the most popular companies at the conference. At the Shanghai WAIC conference earlier this year, the company showcased a robot boxing match between two machines that were incredibly agile and quick. This time around, they unveiled two new products: a quadruped robot and a humanoid robot.

During the conference, Wang Xingxing, founder of U树科技, gave an exclusive interview to the media. He described going public as akin to continuing one's education and growth process over the past nine years. Going public is like taking the college entrance examination; it marks a turning point for companies in terms of management and operations.

Wang Xingxing believes that when robots can truly work, society's concept of robots will undergo significant changes. In the future, countries may require each robot to be taxed upon its manufacture, provided that the robot is capable of performing many tasks like humans. This could happen within two to three years or take longer, but it won't exceed 10 years.

Companionship robots are another area of focus for the industry. From my observations, humanoid robots have made significant progress in terms of their realism, paving the way for commercialization.

Industrial-level applications are also expanding rapidly. Industrial robots are being applied across multiple fields and entering a full-scale explosion period. According to Vice Minister of Industry and Information Technology Sin Kuo-pin, China's robotics industry saw a year-on-year growth rate of 27.8% in the first half of this year, with industrial robot production increasing by 35.6% and service robots by 25.5%. This marks the 12th consecutive year that China has been the world's largest market for industrial robots.

At the exhibition, I saw a series of companion robots developed jointly by Nolix shares and Zhejiang University's Robotics Research Institute. The first product in this series, "Nobility II", was officially launched at the conference. The product slogan is "zero-risk touch", aiming to ensure that technology safeguards high-risk operations with greater safety, efficiency, and environmental protection.

Company representatives emphasized that China's companion robots industry is transitioning from "visible" to "usable".

First Wave Investment Holding, established in 2024 with a total scale of RMB 100 billion, has already invested in U树科技, Galaxy General, and other top companies in the robotics industry.

According to relevant personnel, China's companion robots industry is moving from "visible" to "usable".

This article was first published on WeChat Public Account: eCompany Official WeChat. The content represents the author's personal opinions and does not represent the stance of Hexun.com. Investors should exercise caution when making investment decisions based on this article.