Development of Robot and Industrialization

in China

By Zhongmin Wang
Ph.D. /Professor

School of Mechanical Engineering, TUTE

 Outline
1. A brief history of robot
2. Summary of global robot development
3. Summary of Chinese robot development
4. R&D Status of robot in China
5. Application status of robot in China
6. Conclusion and expectation
 1. A brief history of robot
• The word robot introduced by Czech playwright Karel Capek:
robots are machines which resemble people but work
tirelessly.
• His view is still to be fulfill!

“Robot” coined by Karel Capek in a 1921 science-fiction Czech play

 A Brief History of Robotics II

• Definition: a robot is a software-controllable mechanical

device that uses sensors to guide one or more end-effectors
through programmed motions in a workspace in order to
manipulate physical objects.
• Today’s robots are not androids built to impersonate humans.
• Manipulators are anthropomorphic in the sense that they are
patterned after the human arm.
• Industrial robots: robotic arms or manipulators
 Definition:
“A robot is a reprogrammable, multifunctional manipulator
designed to move material, parts, tools, or specialized devices
through variable programmed motions for the performance of a
variety of tasks.” (Robot Institute of America)

Alternate definition:

“A robot is a one-armed, blind idiot with limited

memory and which cannot speak, see, or hear.”

MIT’s Kismet: a robot

which exhibits expressions,
e.g., happy, sad, surprise,
disgust.
 Ideal Tasks
Tasks which are:
– Dangerous
• Space exploration
• chemical spill cleanup
• disarming bombs
• disaster cleanup
– Boring and/or repetitive
• Welding car frames
• part pick and place
• manufacturing parts.
– High precision or high speed
• Electronics testing
• Surgery
• precision machining.
 Automation vs. robots
• Automation –Machinery designed to carry out a specific task
– Bottling machine (These are always better
– Dishwasher than robots, because
they can be optimally
– Paint sprayer designed for a particular
task).

• Robots – machinery designed

to carry out a variety of tasks
– Pick and place arms
– Mobile robots
– Computer Numerical Control
machines
 History of robot (cont.)

• Early work at end of WWII for handling radioactive

materials: Teleoperation.
• Computer numerically controlled machine tools for low-
volume, high-performance AC parts
• Unimation (1961): built first robot in a GM plant. The
machine is programmable.
• Robots were then improved with sensing: force sensing,
rudimentary vision.
 History of robot(cont.)

• Two famous robots:

– Puma. (Programmable Universal Machine for
Assembly). ‘78.
– SCARA. (Selective Compliant Articulated Robot
Assembly). ‘79.
• In the ‘80 efforts to improve performance: feedback control
+ redesign. Research dedicated to basic topics. Arms got
flexible.
• ‘90: modifiable robots for assembly. Mobile autonomous
robots. Vision controlled robots. Walking robots.
Robot examples
 2. Summary of global robot development

In 2016, the sales volume of the global industrial robots is up to 280,000 sets.
It is estimated that the compound annual growth rate from 2017 to 2022 will
be up to 11.92%. By 2017, the total sales volume of the global industrial
robots will be up to more than 300,000 sets. It is estimated that the global
industrial robot market will be up to USD 79,780,000,000 in 2022.
The inventory of global industrial robot obtains rapid development in recent
years . In 2015, the inventory of global industrial robots was 1,664,000 sets,
with the year-on-year growth of 12.37%. In 2016, the market inventory was
1,856,100 sets, with the year-on-year growth of 11.4%.
Moreover, China ranks first with the inventory (345,000 sets) of global
industrial robots, and the first ten countries and regions of the inventory are:
Japan, America, Korea, Germany, Italy, Taiwan, Thailand, Spanish, France
and British.
 3.Summary of Chinese robot development
Chinese industrial robot starts from the“Seventh Five-Year Plan” in the 1980s
and combines robot technology with application closely to aim at the direction
of practicality. Taking industrial robot and engineering application as one of
the important programs for research and development, China brings forward
the developing guideline of driving key technology through application.

In 2013 China became the world’s largest importer of robots. In 2015, the
newly-increased installation amount of industrial robots in China was up to
67,000 sets, with the year-on-year growth of 17.54%. The installation amount in
2016 was 85,000 sets, with the year-on-year growth of 27%. It is estimated that
the sales volume of industrial robots in China in 2017 will be up to 102,000 sets,
the compound annual growth rate of the industry in next five years (2017-2021)
will be about 19.8%, and the sales volume of industrial robots in China in 2021
will be up to 210,000 sets.
 3. Summary of Chinese robot development
(Cont.)

During the "13th-Five-Year Plan", robot is one of the key development objects.
Compared with the service robots and commercial robots which are in the
exploration period in China, industrial robots have certain development
foundation and are entering the overall popularization stage currently.

Japan is the first major import source of the Chinese industrial robots over the
years. In 2015, 68% of the imported industrial robots come from Japan, and
the number was up to 36,000 sets. In 2016, the import proportion from Japan
accounts for 76% of the total import volume . The export area of Chinese
industrial robots is mainly concentrated in the Pearl River Delta (Guangdong)
and the Yangtze River Delta (Shanghai and Jiangsu).

( Partly because of the one-child policy, China’s working-age population is expected to fall from one
billion people last year to 960 million in 2030, and 800 million by 2050. so China must develop robot!!!)
 3. Summary of Chinese robot development
(Cont.)

In 2014, President Xi Jinping called for a “robot revolution” that would

transform first China, and then the world. “Our country will be the biggest
market for robots,” he said in a speech to the Chinese Academy of Sciences,
“but can our technology and manufacturing capacity cope with the competition?
Not only do we need to upgrade our robots, we also need to capture markets in
many places.”

Robot arms are programmed to complete repetitive tasks

However, the localization rate of industrial robots is still low while
growing at a high speed, and most market shares are still held in the
foreign-funded enterprises. Meanwhile, we shall pay high attention to
the three risks of the industrial core parts of domestic robots such as
hollowing, deterioration of application and peripherization of
mainstream market.

Factories in China are replacing

The latest robot from China’s Siasun has humans with robots
six joints, making it more dextrous
 4. R&D status of robot
Developed Robot Products :
• Arc welding robot
• Spot welding robot
• Assembly robot
• Handling robot
• Grinding and polishing robot
• Laser machining robot
• Water jet cutting robot
• Clean room robot
• Home robot
• Pipe clean robot
• Explosive ordnance disposal robot
• Inspection robot
• etc.
 4.1 R&D Status of robot

Arc welding robot Spot welding robot

 4.1 R&D Status of robot

Handling robot
Assembly robot

Handling robot Spot welding robot

 4.1 R&D Status of robot

Grinding and polishing robot

5-axes machining robot

 4.1 R&D Status of robot

Water jet cutting robot

Laser processing robot
4.1 R&D status of robot

Mobile robot (AGV)

 4.2 R&D status of robot

Home robot
Clean room robot
 4.2 R&D status of robot

Small-size robot for inspection on

Explosive Ordnance Disposal
complex terrain
Robot: Type-I
 4.2 R&D status of robot

Explosive Ordnance Disposal

Robot: Type-II

• Pipe Cleaning Robot

4.2 R&D status of robot
 5. Application status of robot in China
The main users
of Chinese
industrial
r o b o t others
centralize in
middle south
15% 14% Eastern China
the regions,
such as Eastern 36%
China, Northern
C h i n a ,
Northeast and
Middle South of
China, etc. In
the western
r e g i o n s ,
S i c h u a n , northeast
northern China
Chongqing and 13%
Shanxi are 22%
representative
regions of many Eastern China nothern China northeast
applications middle south others
and outlying
regions, such
as Tibet, has
also begun to
use.
 5.1 Main distribution of robot application

Now, Chinese
industrial robot
centralizes in the
industries of 25
a u t o m o b i l e , 20
m o t o r c y c l e ,
m a c h i n e r y 15
manufacturing, 10
electronic and
electrical machine. In
5
recent years, 0
applications in
material processing,

is y

n
ry

ne m ph e
ch tr i tr ry
ic l ap ics

ic fin ds
ile

el el hin le

av ing
bl rg
in l...

& nc

tio
locomotive vehicles,
ac c

st
ec ec e

ws et ...
m ob

o
em ca on
m cy

pu allu
h
al p

a
du

ia
o
transportation,
m

f
o

electric power and

ot
to
au

al
nuclear power, food
p r o c e s s i n g ,

ed
environment-friendly

m
military industry and
teaching and science
research, etc are
increasing.
 5.2 Main Application Types of IR

In terms of industry,
automobile industr y a rc w e ld in g
mainly uses welding,
painting and glueing s p o t w e ld in g
robot; electronic and spot welding
arc welding
electrical appliance 20% lo a d in g /
27%
industry centralizes in loading/ u n lo a d in g
assembly robot, others a s s e m b ly
f o l l o w e d b y unloading
13% 14%
transportation and m a te ria l
painting robot; painting tra n s p o rta tio n
construction machinery 2% Assembly c a s tin g
industry centralizes in pressing 10%
arc welding robot, material p re s s in g
3% casting
follow ed b y pa inting transportation
robot. Besides, 5% 6% p a in tin g
packaging, palletizing
and depalletizing robots o th e rs
are mainly used in
petrochemical industry,
light textile industry and
tobacco industry.
5.3 Automobile industry application case

Arc Welding Robot

Automobile industry application case

Robot for Auto’s Automatic Press Line

 Automobile industry application case

The dual-robot welding The spot welding production line for

system for auto’s muffler auto’s chassis
 5.4 Motorcycle industry application case

The welding system for The motorcycle welding production line

motorcycle racks
 5.5 Construction machinery application case

The arc welding robot system The arc welding robot system for tractor parts
for spreading machine
 5.6 Typical application examples-logistics &
transportation industry
Mobile robot——Automatic Guided Vehicle（AGV）

AGV products mainly include transportation

AGV and assembly AGV. The load weight
varies from several tens of kilos to several
tons and navigation method covers
electromagnetic, magnetic tape and laser
navigation. Transportation AGV

AGV Products were widely used in industries,

such as machinery, electronic, textile, paper-
making, tobacco, and book automatic delivery,
etc. The product has been exported to South
Korea successfully.
Assembly AGV
 AGV application cases

Dual lift AGV assembly system applied in

auto’s final assembly line
AGV assembly system for
diesel engine
 AGV application cases

AGV Automatic transportation system Paper rolling AGV system

applied in cigarette plant applied in publishing industry
 AGV application cases

AGV system for transportation and assembly Automated laser

guided fork vehicle
 6. Conclusion and expectation
Conclusions:

1) Solved the key problems for robot ( design, manufacture, control

and application)
2) Developed series products for IR and special robot
3) Applied widely of IR in different area
4) Built R&D platform and industrialization base of robot in China
5) Advanced robot has gotten big progress
 6. Conclusion and Expectation

Expectations:

1) To improve further the performance and intelligence of robot

2)To make further cost down of robot

3)To broaden the application area of robot

4)To enhance the cooperation and exchange among different country

5) To develop non-manufacturing robot and realize industrialization