Baking bread, pouring milk and retrieving packages… the humanoid robot developed by Shenzhen Dobot Co. Ltd. can do it all. Launched on March 11, Dobot Atom is the world's first humanoid robot with embodied intelligence, featuring both dexterous manipulation and human-like straight-knee walking.

Founded in 2015, Dobot is based in Shenzhen, an economic powerhouse in south China's Guangdong Province. The company has been developing robotic arms and collaborative robots, or "cobots," designed to work alongside humans in shared workspaces.

Xie Kaixuan, Marketing Director of Dobot, told Beijing Review that Dobot Atom is powered by the company's self-developed Neural-Driven Dexterous System and Anthropomorphic Walking System. Over 90 percent of the robot's key components are also developed by the company.

"With strong adaptability, Dobot Atom can learn new tasks in less than two hours through AI training, even when not pre-programmed. It can execute and complete over 100 types of tasks via a range of tools," Xie said.

Standing 1.53 meters tall and weighing 62 kg, Dobot Atom adopts a 1:1 human-arm configuration. With a precision of roughly 0.05 mm and the ability to grasp items without causing damage, it can delicately handle fragile items like cherries, strawberries or pastries. The robot, with the ability to recognize stains, can also perform tasks like dishwashing.

The company focuses on developing robots for specialized niches to accelerate their application. Dobot robots are designed for different scenarios, including automotive assembly, coffee-making and nighttime medication retrieval in chain pharmacies. In these environments, they can navigate narrow spaces and recognize and retrieve diverse items. The company plans to launch pilot production by mid-2025, according to Xie.

Dobot is recognized as one of Shenzhen's national-level specialized and sophisticated enterprises (SSEs). As of late 2024, Shenzhen had over 1,000 SSEs, which refer to high-end, innovation-driven small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), data from the local government showed.

In recent years, SSEs have proliferated across China. These companies specializing in either traditional manufacturing or emerging industries with cutting-edge technologies are well-positioned to meet market demands and excel in competitive markets.

By December 2024, China was home to over 140,000 SSEs, including 14,600 "little giant" enterprises. These "little giants" are businesses that possess core technologies in niche markets and demonstrate great market potential, according to a conference on SMEs held that month.

Mimicking humans

As the No.1 cobot exporter in China, Dobot's products have been sold to over 80 countries and regions, including the United States, Germany and Japan. As of late 2023, it had secured 13 percent of the global cobot market.

According to Xie, over 70,000 Dobot cobots have been deployed in over 60 Fortune 500 firms worldwide. Its clients include Chinese tech firms Huawei and Xiaomi, U.S. consumer electronics company Apple, as well as Chinese car manufacturer BYD and German carmaker BMW.

In April 2024, the company introduced X-Trainer, a robot training system powered by AI. Given it takes a long time to train robots through programming, the AI system has shortened that time by around 70 percent. Moreover, this system, mimicking the human brain, allows Dobot robots to make real-time responses and self-correction.

To improve safety for human collaborators, Dobot has introduced SafeSkin, a contactless pre-collision technology, for its robots. Robotic arms equipped with this technology are sensitive to conductive materials, including human bodies, metals and water. They will automatically stop before making contact, thereby preventing potential hazards during operation.

'Nice to meet you'

With just a single tap between two smartphones, AI-powered digital business cards can instantly share details such as personal introductions and social media profiles. This futuristic concept has been brought to life by Shenzhen-based Jiatui Technology Co. Ltd., a digital marketing solution provider established in 2017.

"The SOON AI name card, measuring only 2.8 mm thick, is equipped with near-field communication (NFT) technology and our self-developed chips," Ma Dan, Vice President of the company, told Beijing Review. According to her, the magnetic name cards automatically attach to the back of smartphones. Despite their slim design, they are powered by durable batteries that can last up to 28 days on a single charge. When not in use, the name cards enter a low-power sleep mode to conserve energy.

Ma explained that the product was developed to help domestic businesses expand globally, as it offers real-time translation for conversations in more than 100 languages. "With AI name cards on their phones, two people speaking different languages can hold video conversations with real-time translated subtitles, even across different communication apps," she said, adding that they can also identify potential clients based on browsing history.

Since its launch last November, more than 10,000 SOON AI name cards were sold in just one month, with over half of the sales in overseas markets. The company now receives orders for over 10,000 units per month.

Currently, the company has around 120 employees, with 80 percent focused on research and development (R&D).

By integrating with the domestically developed AI platform DeepSeek, the translations on the name card have become more accurate and natural. Jiatui is also working on expanding the product's functions to include meeting recordings and key point extraction.

"The complete supply chains and dynamic business environment in Shenzhen have allowed Jiatui to gather resources and drive innovation," Ma said, adding that the company is accelerating its efforts to increase investment in R&D and expand its market presence.

Cracking the code

Established in Shenzhen in 2019, Chengcheng Group is another national-level SSE, leveraging AI technology to tap into the egg industry. The company's revenue totaled 3.5 billion yuan ($480 million) in 2023.

China is a large producer and consumer of eggs, while different pricing in different domestic regions often lead to profit losses for farms. Farms sometimes also find it hard to meet consumer needs due to limited sales channels.

According to Chengcheng, it has developed an AI-based supply chain system that provides real-time data, including daily egg prices and trends in price fluctuations. This system helps address the mismatch between supply and demand, ensuring efficient transactions between farms and food-related enterprises while enabling farms to enhance profitability through fair pricing.

Given eggs usually have a shelf life of 14 to 30 days, and it may take some time for them to reach consumers from farms and distributors, Chengcheng has developed a network of nearly 200 warehouses across China to store and distribute eggs. The company adopts AI technology to optimize transportation routes for maximum efficiency and enables real-time tracking, further boosting logistics performance.

Small but strong

Sun Wenkai, Vice President of the National Institute of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, Renmin University of China, told Beijing Review that many SSEs have developed strong innovation capacities and a solid market presence. Therefore, these companies play a notable role in strengthening and bridging gaps within China's supply chains.

However, SSEs still face challenges related to funding, talent acquisition and innovation. Although access to funding has improved in recent years, direct financing continues to be a hurdle. Sun stressed that financial institutions need to shore up support through inclusive finance and equity financing.

"The authorities should create a level playing field so that smaller enterprises can survive and thrive. Also, SSEs need to keep exploring niche industries to develop their competitive advantages," he said. BR

(Print Edition Title: A Higher End)

Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon

Comments to lixiaoyang@cicgamericas.com