The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party proposed to accelerate technological innovation, break through key core technologies, and promote high-quality development in the high-end manufacturing industry. Today, let us focus on the innovative achievement of the robot ‘dexterous hand’.
In five years, it has successfully broken the technical barrier of tactile sensors; now, the new generation of dexterous hands can perform various delicate operations and is continuously advancing towards more complex application scenarios. A group of young creators, with an average age of just over 20, are working hard to equip this “Chinese hand” on an increasing number of robots.
Youth Forging ‘Hands’
Perseverance and Breakthrough at the Fingertips
When a CCTV news reporter visited this robotics company located in Nanshan District, Shenzhen—PaXini—the laboratory was conducting basic skill training for the robot dexterous hand. Engineers transformed into “masters,” teaching it the fundamentals of precise “grasping” step by step.
Here, a scenario simulating a package sorting process is taking place, where the robot is training to grasp packages with the right amount of force. The scratches on the packages are marks of its training; now this robot is learning how to control its “hand strength” so that it can better “grasp” in the future.
In another corner of the laboratory, the new generation of dexterous hands can skillfully complete delicate tasks such as screwing in light bulbs. Behind this seemingly simple action is the collaborative effort of thousands of sensing units at the fingertips.
Su Gaozheng, Motion Control Algorithm Engineer at PaXini Perception Technology: It can make contact with very small forces to perform twisting actions. The fingertips and pads are equipped with tactile sensors that can perceive information in fifteen dimensions; a dexterous hand is equipped with 1140 sensing units.
The engineer told the reporter that giving the robotic hand “tactile perception” is key to achieving precise operations. This dexterous hand, capable of sensing temperature, humidity, material, and even the direction of force, is the result of the team’s five years of relentless effort and dedication.
Hu Jian, Motion Control Algorithm Engineer at PaXini Perception Technology: We need to analyze the stability of its grasping of objects; the data we perceive must be modeled through our algorithms to handle more complex scenarios. The previous task was to clean the target on this blackboard, and the work below may take longer than the previous four steps combined, but we are confident that we can achieve a good result within two months.
Five years ago, tactile sensors were still a “no man’s land” in China. As a key component of the robotics industry, they were once a “bottleneck” technology, with retail prices exceeding 100,000 yuan. Now, this technology has achieved 100% localization, with prices starting from 199 yuan. The money spent on one sensor five years ago can now equip a complete dexterous hand.
This breakthrough is the result of the team’s millions of experiments and the dedication of these young people. During the interview, the reporter noticed a detail: the lunch coffee corner originally meant for relaxation has now transformed into a “brainstorming area” for cross-department collaboration. Whenever they encounter technical challenges that require collaborative solutions, the young engineers gather together to discuss and find solutions.
Despite their young age, these individuals are all experts in the industry. In front of the camera, they are calm and confident, sharing insights on the robotics technology they are deeply involved in, with a sense of pride and passion for their work.
From a small startup team to over 600 employees today, from a technical blank slate to defining industry standards, the growth trajectory of the dexterous hand reflects the struggles of these young people. Currently, their products serve thousands of enterprises and are exported to Europe and the United States, covering various fields such as advanced manufacturing, high-end equipment, and medical care.
Nie Xiangru, Co-founder of PaXini Perception Technology: The 14th Five-Year Plan suggests vigorously developing embodied intelligence, and as a robotics company, we are very excited about this opportunity. We hope to reach more application scenarios in the next five years, such as healthcare, elderly care, special rescue, retail consumption, and logistics, further applying our technology.
Gathering Strength through Collaboration
Creating a New Vision of ‘Human-Machine Symbiosis’
The breakthrough of a dexterous hand reflects the rise of an industry. The innovative breakthroughs of this company are not an isolated case; in Nanshan District, Shenzhen, a complete robotics industry ecosystem has already taken shape, where the industrial park is the industrial chain, and the “last mile” of industry-university-research collaboration has been thoroughly connected, allowing innovative vitality to continue to burst forth, jointly painting a new picture of “human-machine symbiosis”.
A futuristic “innovation corridor” spans over ten kilometers, gathering hundreds of robotics-related companies and research institutions, affectionately referred to as the “robot valley”. Many high-tech enterprises are located in these office buildings, opposite which is a cluster of universities and research institutions. New ideas from laboratories can quickly be tested in factories, and students’ new inventions can directly meet the real needs of the industry.
This company, focused on lawn mowing robots, found a matching positioning device supplier in the “robot valley,” rapidly improving its obstacle avoidance and recognition capabilities, with positioning accuracy increasing by 4 to 5 times.
Moreover, the needs of enterprises can directly reach campuses like “orders,” providing precise directions for university research and development.
Chen Liangming, Associate Professor at the School of Automation and Intelligent Manufacturing, Southern University of Science and Technology: Our course and project settings are largely derived from this industry, which allows for effective transformation of industry-university-research collaboration.
Currently, in the “robot valley,” innovation is not a solitary endeavor; the concentration of the industrial chain allows the “valley residents” to benefit greatly. Some provide core components, some optimize technical solutions, and others improve production processes. Everyone is both a partner in the industrial chain and enhances their skills through collaboration, accelerating the transition of robots from laboratories to production lines, and continuously increasing the competitiveness of the entire industrial chain.
According to statistics, during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, Shenzhen’s cumulative patent applications for robots reached 78,000, ranking first in the country, with the localization rate of humanoid robot companies exceeding 90%.
Li Fangbiao, Deputy Director of the Major Science and Technology Projects Department of the Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Bureau: In the past five years, our industrial clusters have accelerated formation, with the robot bay, robot valley, and robot island. Key core components, including algorithmic models, are gradually becoming self-controllable, shaking off the “bottleneck” hand.
While the industry-university-research collaboration is intensifying, the local government is also continuously exploring new scenarios to support robotics companies. Currently, Shenzhen has opened up application scenarios for robots in government inspections, police patrols, and firefighting, promoting the accelerated iteration of robots in urban management and social governance.
Chinese Intelligent Manufacturing through Robotics Innovation
Empowering High-Quality Development
The blueprint of the 14th Five-Year Plan is gradually unfolding, and the national push for embodied intelligence deployment brings new development opportunities for the robotics industry. The technological breakthroughs of the dexterous hand and the rise of robotics industry clusters showcase the vitality of Chinese intelligent manufacturing.
We believe that with the dedication of young researchers and the collaborative efforts of industry-university-research, robotics technology will continue to advance, and innovative achievements will accelerate implementation, injecting continuous momentum for high-quality development.
Further Reading:
“Robot Sensor Technology and Market – 2022 Edition”
“Sensor Technology and Market – 2024 Edition”
