Robotics industry sees rapid growth in embodied AI and humanoid technology

The robotics and embodied AI sectors are experiencing rapid technological and economic shifts, highlighted by recent developments at the World Robot Conference. Chinese startup GigaAI has raised approximately 84 billion yen (3.5 billion yuan) to advance its world model technology, specifically its GigaBrain-0.7 model designed to improve real-time decision-making and predictive capabilities in robots.

Industry leaders are reporting significant cost reductions in hardware. Zhongqing CEO Zhao Dongyang noted that the cost of general-purpose humanoid robots has dropped from over one million yuan to under 100,000 yuan in just three years, driven by a maturing domestic supply chain. Meanwhile, Shengshu Technology has outlined a five-level evolutionary roadmap for general world models, moving from simple video generation to complex physical decision-making.

Technical focus is also shifting toward dexterous manipulation. Companies like Lingqiaozhi are prioritizing high-precision robotic hands and specialized datasets to overcome the current bottleneck in fine motor skills. Additionally, the market for robot vision AI platforms is projected to grow from $3.25 billion in 2025 to over $10.5 billion by 2032, as the industry transitions from simple image recognition to integrated environmental understanding and autonomous operation.