The Evolution of Robots in Guangdong: From Seven Swordsmen to a Galaxy of Heroes

In the past year, have you come across videos online of robots performing, running, or working in factories? Have you ever imagined that one day in the future, you could buy or customize a robot just as easily as buying a car at an auto 4S shop? This sci-fi-looking store behind me is the world's first robot 6S store. Step inside, and this wish can come true.

Robots serving as backup dancers at star concerts or planning various exhibitions can all be rented and customized here. Tailor-made solutions truly make robots a versatile tool for any scenario.For humanoid robots, the year 2025 is just like what a decade ago was to new energy vehicles. The humanoid robot race has progressed from PowerPoint presentations to stages and workshops. In the global humanoid robot supply chain, China accounts for about 63% of the share. Among these, one out of every three industrial robots and one out of every eight service robots comes from Guangdong. The province is now home to over 160,000 robotics-related enterprises, ranking first nationwide. Robots, as a "new Guangdong product," are showcasing Guangdong's strength and innovation to the world with unprecedented speed and boldness. This is the fruit of Guangdong's innovation drive, which is market-driven and scenario-backed.

In early 2025, Guangdong's robot "Seven Swordsmen" burst onto the scene, making a huge splash. A year later, if you take a tour around Shenzhen's Robot Valley, you will be amazed by the "shining stars" scattered across this innovation corridor. The Guangdong robotics enterprises behind it are continuously securing and fulfilling orders, setting global records one after another.

How has Guangdong's robotics industry leaped to become world-class in just a few years?

"The iteration speed of the supply chain in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is 30 times that of Silicon Valley, at only one-tenth of the cost," said Li Zexiang, Chairman of Googol Technology.

An idea in the morning can become a prototype by afternoon. Behind the "surge in orders" for robots lies Guangdong's complete industrial and supply chain, paired with breakthroughs in R&D of core robot technologies and key components. For companies building robots in Shenzhen, placing an order means connecting within one hour to local sensor suppliers, precision processing plants in Dongguan, motor suppliers in Zhuhai, and live-streaming e-commerce promotion and distribution in Guangzhou.

"Through iterating three generations of industrial humanoids, we have gradually achieved milestones in small-scale delivery, which is a huge boost of confidence for the humanoid robot industry," noted Tan Min, Chief Brand Officer, UBTECH Robotics.

This is the birthplace of robot technology innovation, both nationally and globally. The key to success is a unique mechanism: a two-way talent flow between universities and industry, clear paths for intellectual property commercialization, and safety nets for entrepreneurship. This gives professors the courage to start businesses, students the confidence to experiment, capital the willingness to invest, technology the runway to market, and supporting industries the capacity to keep up.

With its unparalleled innovation ecosystem, supply chains, and scenario-application advantages, Guangdong has not only enabled its local robotics stars to rise rapidly but also continuously attracted top robotics enterprises to move south. From Unitree Robotics and DEEP Robotics settling in Shenzhen, to OYMotion Technologies and Agibot in Zhuhai, PHYBOT in Guangzhou, and to key component makers like LinkerBot and Link-touch landing here, Guangdong has long welcomed the "southeastward migration" of robot enterprises nationwide. It has ushered in an era where all types of high-quality robotics enterprises compete and converge in a grand assembly of elites.During China's upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan period, Guangdong aims to build a high-tech, high-growth, and large-scale "AI + Robotics"ecosystem,as part of the efforts to forgemore trillion-yuan and hundred-billion-yuan industrial clusters.