(Yicai) March 26 -- Sales of light detection and ranging sensors to the fast-growing robotics industry are becoming a major growth engine for RoboSense Technology and Hesai Technology, two leading Chinese makers.

RoboSense's sales of lidar sensors for robots and other purposes surged over 12-fold to 303,000 units in the 12 months ended Dec. 31, its financial report showed late yesterday. Revenue from the sales jumped 258 percent to CNY710 million (USD102.9 million).

Its advanced driver assistance systems-related products still made up the bulk of sales at 609,000 units, with related revenue increasing by only 17 percent to CNY1.1 billion (USD159.4 million). The Shenzhen-based company reported an annual net loss of more than CNY145 million.

In the last three months of 2025, RoboSense had its first quarterly profit of CNY104 million. Robot lidar shipments soared almost 27 times to 221,200 units from a year earlier, with the firm’s robotics business contributing more than half of its income for the first time.

RoboSense's sales of robot lidars will likely quadruple to between 800,000 and 1 million units this year, Chief Executive Qiu Chunchao said at on the firm’s earnings conference call. 

RoboSense's stock [HKG: 2498] ended up 1.9 percent at HKD32.78 (USD4.19) in Hong Kong today, after surging by as much as 8.4 percent at one point.

Hesai's ADAS lidar sales climbed 203 percent to 1.38 million units in 2025, but those of its robotics business grew faster, surging over five times to 239,000 units, its annual earnings statement revealed on March 24.

Hesai plans to raise its lidar sensor annual production capacity to over four million units this year to meet surging demand, the Shanghai-based firm noted.

Lidar sensor orders are mainly for robots that are already being mass-produced, rather than humanoid robots. For example, Hesai recently received an order from Dreame Technology for 10 million units for robot lawn mowers.

According to industry experts, embodied intelligence is expected to become the next important market for lidar manufacturers.

“The amount of embodied AI is not large, but its strategic significance is very high,” Qiu said. "The lower body mobility of robots is already very mature, while the upper body manipulation capabilities are triggering a new industrial revolution.”

He pointed out that the robotics business is in the investment phase, and the components being deployed in the field of embodied intelligence may grow into a larger category than lidar sensors in three to five years.

Hesai’s shares [NASDAQ: HSAI] closed 1.9 percent lower at USD19.85 each in new York yesterday.

Editor: Martin Kadiev