(Research on High-Quality Development of Private Enterprises) Equipping Robotic Arms with Wheels and Brains: A New Blue Ocean Emerging for Industrial Robots

Author: Xinyi Qiao
Editor: Junhua Hu

This article is republished with permission from Yicai.
Original link: https://m.yicai.com/news/102459122
Chinese Robot Network link: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/GLhD4Pnt9v90XrgazfT8cA

In an electric vehicle factory, a 1.87-meter-tall composite robot moves through an unmanned workshop. Unlike traditional industrial robots, this one features a flexible six-axis robotic arm and a mobile base capable of autonomous navigation. As it performs axial movements, the robotic arm emits a soft electromagnetic “sizzling” sound.

This composite robot is developed by Shanghai iSAGE Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “iSAGE”), a company headquartered in the Greater Zero Bay area of Shanghai’s Minhang District. The robot is also one of iSAGE’s core products. Since its founding over seven years ago, iSAGE has grown from a two-desk startup to an 8,000-square-meter production base, witnessing transformations in multiple manufacturing sectors such as automotive, new energy, and consumer goods. The reduction in labor, the rise in automation, and the growing demand for flexible production have created room for composite robots—equipped with “hands, eyes, feet, and brains”—to evolve.

Today, composite robots are rapidly emerging, in contrast to more mature products like traditional robotic arms and mobile robots already widely used in industry.

Composite Robots Take the Lead

In the water-cooled plate workshop of the aforementioned EV factory, consisting of 300 machine tools, 26 intelligent mobile composite robots from iSAGE are in operation. These robots work tirelessly in the unmanned environment and serve as the backbone of the workshop.

The robots retrieve blanks from the warehouse, skillfully navigate around floor obstacles, deliver them to the next workstation, and place them accurately for processing. Once the parts are machined, the robots then transport them to the next workshop.

2025 marks iSAGE’s eighth year of operations. Over the past eight years, as industries like new energy vehicles, medical surgeries, and photovoltaics have advanced, the application scenarios for industrial robots have gradually shifted. In traditional manufacturing setups, robotic arms typically had fixed positions and functions, while mobile robots mainly performed material transport, making them less adaptable to dynamic production lines or storage spaces.

Today’s needs for small-batch, automated, and highly flexible production require smart, digital, and adaptable productivity solutions.

Zhang Jianzheng, founder and CEO of iSAGE, believes that the three core work capabilities of factory workers are “carrying, working, and knowing how to do it.” In the past, robots could replace mobility and simple tasks. However, evolving and expanding production environments now demand more intelligent iterations if robots are to truly replace humans.

“Foreign robotic arms were already industrialized by the 1970s and have had a longer development history than those in China,” said Zhang. The emergence and evolution of composite robots are actually a continuation of the industrial robot lineage. While robotic arms solved manipulation problems, AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles) and AMRs (Autonomous Mobile Robots) tackled mobility. iSAGE aims to integrate “hands” and “feet” through the “brain” to make industrial robots truly intelligent.

Platform Capabilities Are the Core Selling Point

The diversity of factories and production lines sets industrial robot deployment apart from consumer-end product lines. It requires products highly tailored to actual scenarios, rather than a wide product range for general selection.

Zhang envisions iSAGE’s products as being scenario-driven, rather than industry-specific. “We extract common technical traits from different industries and design them modularly,” he explained. In addition to core underlying technologies such as perception, navigation, driving, communication, and data processing, iSAGE has also made software-level upgrades. Through chip control, its robots can process multi-sensor information.

Currently, iSAGE offers a “building-block” solution model. Its platform allows clients to choose from over 20 types of robotic arms and various vision options, including 2D, 3D, infrared, and LiDAR. The robot “brain” designed by iSAGE is based on the open-source Sage-OS and integrates four proprietary algorithm modules: visual servoing, coordinated hand-eye-foot operation, scene recognition, and autonomous navigation.

According to the company’s marketing team, iSAGE conducts on-site evaluations at client factories during early discussions to identify the most suitable mechanical modules before offering tailored solutions and quotes—followed by production and delivery. “We also provide interfaces for secondary development so clients can adapt the robots more easily to their specific environments.”

Unlike traditional robot manufacturers that primarily sell hardware, iSAGE positions itself as a platform provider that integrates standardized core technologies with supporting software solutions.

To make its platform adaptable to production scenarios, iSAGE offers modular products and flexible solutions—something Zhang considers a competitive edge. “Technology is our foundation; deep industry understanding is our service core,” he said. “Large companies with technical and industry experience often find it harder to pivot due to their scale. This gives us an opening.”

This business model allows iSAGE to leverage its technical strengths to reach more customers and scenarios while also offsetting the limitations of being a smaller company in terms of capital and production capacity. Its “platform-based” model further enhances its appeal to investors. So far, iSAGE has completed four rounds of funding, raising several hundred million RMB.

“For early-stage industrial robot companies, we evaluate how well the product is applied to real-world scenarios and the actual value created,” said Pan Tao, Partner at Dingxin Capital. “For robotics firms, technology, product, business, and investment are interconnected gears in a flywheel,” he explained. “From a financial metrics standpoint, shipment volume is a practical indicator.”

Zhang revealed that iSAGE’s projected shipment volume for 2025 is about 1,000 units. In May 2024, iSAGE opened a new 8,000-square-meter facility in Shanghai’s Minhang District, which includes manufacturing, quality control, and delivery centers—bringing its annual production capacity to 1,000 units.

Wading into a Blue Ocean

“In 2024, the annual market demand for composite robots in China has exceeded 2,000 units and is expected to surpass 3,000 in 2025,” said Wu Zhuolun, Head of Collaborative and Composite Robotics at MIR Industry. Although annual growth may exceed 50%, the market for composite robots is still in its early stages. According to MIR Industry data, China’s cumulative industrial robot sales exceeded 215,000 units in the first three quarters of 2024.

As one of the earliest entrants, Zhang and iSAGE have realized that the market still hasn’t fully embraced composite robots. “It’s not just about combining hands and feet—algorithmic and technical integration takes time,” Zhang noted. Compared to traditional robots, composite robots offer much higher versatility across scenarios.

Composite robots aren’t designed to replace a single workstation. Their true value lies in replacing multiple manual or robotic units with one intelligent system. “Our strategy is to start with industry leaders—once the top players adopt a new technology, others naturally follow,” Zhang said.

“The current players in the composite robot market can be divided into robotic arm manufacturers, mobile base manufacturers, and third-party integrators,” said Wu. The first two often enter the composite space via their existing verticals. “Since demand spans many industries—3C, new energy, automotive, and personal care—providers with full-scenario solutions have a better chance of winning.”

Although the market remains a blue ocean, industrial robotics giants are gradually entering the field.

In June 2024, ABB launched the new OmniCore™ robot control platform, integrating AI, sensors, cloud, and edge computing to improve robot speed by 25% and reduce energy consumption by 20%. That same year, ABB also acquired Swiss startup Sevensense to further invest in AI-driven autonomous mobile robots.

KUKA showcased its next-gen AI controller “KR C5 micro-2” and a digital twin demo at the 2023 World Robot Conference, enabling advanced autonomous decision-making. Wind River, an intelligent systems software provider, announced in April 2024 that its Wind River Linux will power Yaskawa’s new MOTOMAN NEXT robots, which utilize AI for independent decision-making.

“The main technical challenges for composite robots are navigation and control software,” said Zheng Yangyang, a robotics researcher at Samoyed Cloud Technology Group. “Integrating operations involves optimizing grasping sequences and paths, requiring coordination across mechanical, electrical, control, and sensor systems. The development of the broader supply chain is crucial for breakthroughs.”

“We’re seeing more foreign robotics firms localizing their operations in Shanghai and relying more on local suppliers,” Zhang added. “By leveraging the supply chain opportunities in the Yangtze River Delta, we hope to stay ahead in this fast-moving sector.”