In the first half of 2026, Beijing's key humanoid robot manufacturers achieved a production volume of nearly 6,000 units, marking a nearly tenfold increase compared to the same period last year. This explosive growth highlights the rapid expansion of the humanoid robot industry in the capital.
As a core representative of China's "New Three" foreign trade products—robots, artificial intelligence, and innovative drugs—various robot categories, including humanoid, service, and medical robots, have moved beyond mere exhibition items. Supported by strong technological foundations, robots developed by Beijing's innovative entities are accelerating their deployment globally, with a steadily increasing pace of overseas expansion.
However, what often goes unnoticed is the critical role of joint modules, which are the components that enable humanoid robots to walk, run, and jump like humans. The failure of any single joint can render the robot inoperable. Relying on a commitment to stability, Beijing-based company Lingzu Time has developed self-researched integrated joint modules for robots that have won over nearly 10,000 clients worldwide. "Currently, the after-sales repair rate for our overseas products is controlled below 0.01%," said Shao Yuanxin, founder and COO of Lingzu Time, with a tone of pride.
As the "motion hub" of humanoid robots, the performance of joint modules directly determines the overall performance of the robot, and their cost often accounts for 50% of the entire humanoid robot. "The global demand for robot components is now clearly segmented. The domestic market focuses more on performance indicators, while overseas clients pursue stringent stability," Shao Yuanxin explained. Without stable product performance, it is impossible to expand into overseas markets. "Overseas robot companies are often small startup teams from laboratories, where engineers are both product users and decision-makers. Providing localized adaptation for them is key to capturing the market."
Shao Yuanxin keenly recognized that, while maintaining core product performance, the team must build industry trust through professional technical expertise to broaden its network. In 2025, Shao Yuanxin dispatched an engineering team to North America. Over two months, they collaborated with a local robot startup to complete a lightweight, low-cost, and highly challenging motion control solution. After implementation, the solution gained industry recognition and is now open-sourced globally, with several North American laboratories conducting follow-up development based on this open-source project.
Riding the wave of the robot industry's rapid development, Lingzu Time's product shipments in the first half of 2026 were nearly double its total for the entire previous year, accelerating its push into the international market. Shao Yuanxin noted that the company's overseas business now accounts for one-quarter of its total operations, with products primarily sold to North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia. The company is also accelerating its overseas warehousing layout, prioritizing markets in Europe and the Americas where demand is high and logistics cycles are long. It is expected that total production capacity will double year-on-year by 2027, reaching a new level.
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