A 2-Meter Jump Is Just the Beginning: The Core Competitive Edge of Chinese Robots Seen Inside Local Factories [Report]

On-Site Visits to Major Chinese Robot Headquarters

Unitree to List on Chinese Stock Market on August 19; Aegibot Also Pursuing IPO

Unitree Unveils Robot That Jumps and Runs as Fast and High as Humans

At Aegibot's Data Center, Hundreds

Unitree unveiled a video of its robot "Superman," which can perform stationary jumps up to 2 meters high, on the 17th, two days before its listing. The company stated that the robot was developed in just three months. Source=Unitree YouTube

On the eve of Unitree’s initial public offering on the 19th, after touring Chinese robotics companies firsthand, what emerged as the most formidable threat was not the robots’ ability to jump, dance, or run. Instead, it was the speed at which the companies could mass produce robots, animate them, and rapidly feed that data back into artificial intelligence (AI) systems. If Unitree enters the capital market with advantages in hardware mass production and profitability, the Chinese robotics industry is expected to accelerate both data accumulation and technological development. This potential for speed forms the foundation for Chinese robotics companies to further extend their lead.

"You cannot take photos in here."

On the 17th, when the 5th cohort of the Seoul National University AI CEO Program (SNU AICEO) entered the data collection center of Aejibot in Shanghai, China, this was the first request they received. Inside the massive building, hundreds of robots were arranged by zone. The robots continuously picked up, moved, and put down objects in a repetitive cycle.

When a human moved their arms and hands using a remote controller, the robot would imitate the movements, generating actionable data in the process. It was the first time seeing a facility where so many robots were assembled in one place solely to generate behavioral data.

The robots were trained not only in folding clothes and pouring tea, but also in logistics and tasks required at manufacturing sites. There were spaces recreated to look exactly like convenience stores or homes. According to an Aejibot official, “We generate and supply data for work requested by our clients.”

Labeling work—refining and processing the collected data—was also in progress. A company representative explained, “About two-thirds of our team is focused on training data, while one-third specializes in selecting only high-quality datasets.” In this single building, hundreds of people were engaged in elevating robot intelligence.

Unlike generative AI and large language models (LLMs), which are trained on text and images from the internet, physical AI that operates in the real world faces different challenges. It is difficult to learn, for example, the right force to grip a cup, or how to adjust the strength in one’s fingers and arms to catch a slipping object, using only internet data.

A robot from Aejibot is packing a smartphone into a box based on the information it has learned. Photo by Paek Jongmin, Tech Specialist

During the demonstration, there were robots that failed to properly pick up unfamiliar objects—apparently due to insufficient training data. Such trial and error is also stored as video data through cameras attached to the robot arms. Aejibot is also focusing on a variety of robotic hands and grippers, and even runs subsidiaries dedicated to specialized robot hand development.

The competition in physical AI witnessed onsite in China went beyond a “robot numbers game.” The more robots that were produced and trained, the more authentic data would be accumulated, and, as the data grows, AI becomes progressively smarter. Visitors were amazed at how much the company, established only in 2023, had grown within such a short time. Many opined that such progress would have been impossible without the heavy support of both the national and municipal governments in China.

This remarkable growth in China’s robotics sector is now extending into the capital market through Unitree’s listing. Unitree, which will go public on the 19th, set its IPO price at 150.8 yuan per share and raised 6.1 billion yuan. Based on the IPO price, the company’s valuation is about 61 billion yuan, or roughly 12.8 trillion won.

Unitree, known for its quadruped robots and dancing humanoids, is the leading robotics company in China. While Aejibot focuses on accumulating behavioral data and AI training, Unitree’s strength lies in the mass production and commercialization of robot hardware. In effect, China is rapidly expanding its robotics ecosystem on both the hardware and data fronts.

As of August 14, the market capitalization of South Korea’s leading robotics company, Rainbow Robotics, was 9.7193 trillion won. If Unitree’s share price increases after going public, the gap may widen even further. In the past year, Rainbow Robotics reported sales of 34.1 billion won and an operating loss of 2.48 billion won, whereas Unitree achieved approximately 358.8 billion won in sales and a net profit of about 124.2 billion won.

Korean conglomerates are also taking action. In one corner of the Aejibot showroom, a photo was displayed commemorating the "LG Electronics and Aejibot Strategic Business Agreement (MOU) Signing." This scene demonstrated Aejibot’s considerable emphasis on its collaboration with LG Electronics.

Samsung Electronics also invested 86.8 billion won in 2023 to acquire a 14.7% stake in Rainbow Robotics. Later, by exercising its call option, it increased its stake to 35%, becoming the largest shareholder. The plan is to combine Rainbow Robotics’ robot technology with Samsung’s AI and software capabilities to develop intelligent humanoids.

The variable factor is the United States. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) added advanced robots manufactured overseas to the list of equipment of national security concern last month. The targets included humanoid and quadruped robots—measures clearly aimed at the rapidly growing Chinese robotics sector. Unitree generated 13.3% of its total revenue from the U.S. in the previous year.

Paradoxically, this could mean an opportunity for South Korea. If Korean robotics companies can catch up with China in mass production, pricing, and data competitiveness—while also satisfying U.S. requirements for supply chain and data security—Korean robots could become an alternative to Chinese robots.

Robotics expert and Seoul National University professor Jang Byungtak stated, “We need to leverage our strength in having plentiful manufacturing site data.” Professor Yoo Byungjoon of Seoul National University’s business school emphasized, “The human labor that goes into training robots is also becoming important,” highlighting the creation of new job opportunities.

The tour’s grand finale, as expected, was a dance performance. Aejibot’s robots impressed the audience with dazzling dance moves and wushu choreography. On the evening of the 17th, as the visitors returned to Korea, Unitree unveiled its bipedal robot ‘Superstar,’ which performed a stationary jump of 2 meters and ran at a top speed of 12.66 meters per second. It was a clear display of the company’s confidence ahead of its IPO.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.