(Yicai) June 30 -- Chinese producers of components for humanoid robots are ramping up investments to standardize designs and cut unit costs, accelerating the competitive industry’s gradual shift toward mass production.

Several companies have recently announced deals to supply parts for human-like robots. For example, Apple supplier Lingyi iTech Manufacturing stated last week that it will go “all in” on the embodied intelligence components business, aiming to become one of the world’s top three manufacturers of such hardware.

Specifically, the company -- already a major supplier of auto and smartphone components -- plans to develop core robot parts and integrated products, offer comprehensive hardware services, and support various robot application scenarios.

Moreover, motion control firm Veichi Electric unveiled a new joint venture earlier this month to develop components for humanoid robots. Additionally, auto parts maker Huaxiang Electronic disclosed last week that one of its subsidiaries has been selected as an original equipment manufacturer for robotics startup Zhiyuan Xinchuang Technology, also known as AgiBot.

China-made humanoid robots are already priced significantly lower than their overseas counterparts, Zeng Bokai, senior research manager at TrendForce, told Yicai.

This is largely due to the country’s vast domestic market, which enables manufacturers to drive down prices to gain market share, and the intense competition among local suppliers, which allows robot makers to source mature yet cost-effective components, he added.

Yang Xinyu, head of Lingyi’s robotics business, told Yicai that component suppliers have yet to secure large orders or achieve significant profits. However, Lingyi has long-term ambitions for the sector and plans to use profits from its existing business lines to support this high-growth initiative for at least three years.

One key challenge to mass production is the lack of standardized designs. Yang noted that even common modules shared across robot models vary significantly, and customizing products for each client consumes excessive time and resources.

To address this, Lingyi is collaborating with numerous downstream manufacturers to identify component designs that meet the needs of most clients at lower costs, thereby promoting standardization, Yang explained.

He added that Lingyi also plans to introduce certain component standards from the consumer electronics industry into its robotics applications through these collaborations.

Editor: Emmi Laine