(Yicai) Dec. 9 -- AgiBot saw its 5,000th general-purpose intelligent robot roll off the Chinese humanoid robotics startup's production line.

The robot was produced at AgiBot's Shanghai factory yesterday, marking a significant milestone for the company after its 1,000th robot had rolled off the production line just earlier this year.

Most Chinese robotics firms have produced between 500 and 1,000 units, with only a few exceeding the 1,000 mark, Yicai found.

The most widespread applications of AgiBot's robots remain in entertainment performances and guided tours, said founder Peng Zhihui.

"5,000 units is not just a number, it's a key threshold that must be crossed in industrial production," Wang Chuang, partner and senior vice president at AgiBot and president of its embodied business division, told Yicai. It highlights that the company's robots have reached mature application scenarios, while production costs will significantly decrease due to economies of scale, he added.

During the gradual ramp-up of robot production, supply chain stability, process consistency, quality systems, production line yield, and other indicators have all been rigorously tested, leading to the gradual establishment of product standards, Wang pointed out.

In addition, the diversity of customers and product application scenarios is expanding as orders increase, Wang said, adding that by helping users solve problems, AgiBot discovers new application scenarios, with some demands "refined" via collaboration between the firm and its clients.

"For example, we initially positioned one of our robots as an indoor device, but after receiving feedback from many customers who expressed a desire to use it outdoors on sunny days, we adjusted its features to include 5G signal compatibility as a standard", Wang pointed out.

AgiBot has secured orders each worth from tens of millions of Chinese yuan (equivalent to millions of US dollars) to over CNY100 million (USD14.1 million) this year from China Mobile, one of the country's three big mobile network operators, Longcheer Technology, an original design manufacturer of consumer electronics, Joyson Electronic, a supplier of auto electronic components, Fulin Precision, a car parts supplier, and others. Relevant robots are used in various scenarios, from reception and navigation in business halls to auto parts production and data collection.

"Mass production is just the starting point," said Wang. The real challenge comes after delivery, whether the company's robots can continue to be used in specific scenarios, "rather than just participating in a one-time event or completing a demonstration," he stressed.

The core skills of robots, as well as the capabilities for ecological development and application expansion within companies, will be the competitive highlights of the industry over the coming year, according to Wang.

Editors: Tang Shihua, Martin Kadiev