At the recent seventh Xiaopeng Technology Day, Xiaopeng’s new generation humanoid robot IRON made its debut with a “catwalk” presentation.
Unlike previous industry focuses on mechanical skeletons and motion algorithms, this release highlights the first achievement of a “fully covered flexible skin” and an integrated “bionic muscle” system for the robot.
Due to its smooth movements and lifelike postures, it even sparked doubts about whether it was a “real person impersonation”, forcing He Xiaopeng to perform a “clothing removal demonstration”. This spectacle, which transitioned from a tech show to a “real person impersonation” controversy, ignited a neglected material revolution: silicone flexible skin.
As the core component of the IRON” fully covered robot, it transforms the robot from a “metal lump” into a “humanoid companion”, injecting new vitality into the silicone industry chain.
Silicone materials are characterized by softness, skin-friendliness, resistance to extreme temperatures, biocompatibility, non-toxicity, odorlessness, radiation resistance, and good environmental stability, making them promising for applications in humanoid robots.
This means that silicone may usher in a growing market in fields such as humanoid robots, smart wearables, and bionic medicine.
This article outlines the four most hardcore companies involved in silicone flexible skin:
1.Hanwei Technology: A high-tech enterprise focused on sensors, IoT, and other fields, with a deep layout in flexible electronics technology.
Core connection with robot silicone flexible skin: The “technology pioneer” in robot silicone flexible skin, its subsidiary Suzhou Nengsida specializes in nano-bionic electronic skin technology, providing flexible skin solutions for robots that offer multi-dimensional perception such as touch, smell, and infrared vision.
Three outstanding advantages:
① Deep technical accumulation: Over ten years of experience in flexible electronic skin technology, with sensitivity reaching 0.1kPa;
② High localization rate: The localization rate of products reaches 90%, supplying small batches to over 20 robot manufacturers;
③ Wide application scenarios: Covers various robot perception needs, with strong technical practicality.
2.Silicone Treasure Technology: A leading enterprise in silicone materials, with products including silicone sealants, potting compounds, etc., showing significant advantages in electronic-grade silicone materials.
Core connection with robot silicone flexible skin: The “material supplier” for robot silicone flexible skin, its silicone materials are one of the core raw materials for robot silicone flexible skin due to their flexibility, temperature resistance, and biocompatibility.
Three outstanding advantages:
① Excellent material performance: Silicone materials possess key characteristics suitable for robot flexible skin, such as flexibility, temperature resistance, and biocompatibility;
② Rapid market expansion: Revenue from electronic skin materials is expected to grow by 120% year-on-year in 2024, entering the supply chain of BYD’s onboard robots;
③ Leading production capacity: With an annual production capacity of 180,000 tons of high-end silicone materials, ensuring supply stability.
3.Fulei New Materials: A leading enterprise in functional film materials, actively innovating in flexible electronic materials, and developing products such as nano-silver wire conductive films.
Core connection with robot silicone flexible skin: The “innovation pioneer” in robot silicone flexible skin, its independently developed nano-silver wire conductive film provides key components for high conductivity and high flexibility in robot flexible skin, aiding in signal transmission and perception functions.
Three outstanding advantages:
① Significant technological innovation: The diameter of nano-silver wires is only 25nm, achieving an advanced level in the industry;
② Clear cost advantage: Costs are reduced by 40% compared to similar international products, making it competitive in the market;
③ High supply chain recognition: Certified as a secondary supplier for Tesla’s humanoid robots, it is the first domestic electronic skin-related enterprise to enter this supply chain.
4.Xinan Co., Ltd.: One of the top ten silicone companies globally, with a complete industrial chain layout from silicone monomers to end products.
Core connection with robot silicone flexible skin: The “full industrial chain service provider” for robot silicone flexible skin, with over 3000 types of silicone products covering all material needs for silicone flexible skin, while collaborating with institutions to develop silicone rubber materials with signal transmission functions to simulate human skin touch.
Three outstanding advantages:
① Complete industrial chain: A full industrial chain layout from silicone monomers to end products, providing one-stop material solutions;
② In-depth R&D collaboration: Jointly established a laboratory with the Zhejiang Humanoid Robot Innovation Center to develop materials suitable for robot flexible skin;
③ Practical application demonstration: The developed silicone rubber materials have achieved preliminary demonstration applications in flexible gripping and smart touch systems, proving their practicality.
Disclaimer: This article is a personal reflection on stock market investment records, and all stocks mentioned do not constitute investment advice. This is not a stock recommendation; the stock market has risks, and investment should be cautious.