Assembly line for robots adopts systems used for cars

The world's first high-level general-purpose intelligent robot walked off the factory line autonomously on Tuesday, as automotive startup XPeng launched a new manufacturing process in Guangzhou, Guangdong province.

It was a significant step in the mass production of general-purpose humanoid robots, the company said.

Until now, robots have typically been produced in small batches, with a lot of manual assembly required. Automating and scaling up manufacturing has been a challenge. XPeng, a maker of new energy vehicles, created the world's first fully automated manufacturing line for high-level humanoid robots, integrating the types of precision systems used in the automotive industry.

The line was designed to achieve an automation rate above 80 percent in core processes through a high-precision, flexible and intelligent manufacturing system.

The production line ensures stable and consistent key processes and lays the foundation for full-scale mass production and rapid expansion, the company said.

"The production line was created from scratch without any precedents, as we are pioneering a completely new category," said He Xiaopeng, CEO of XPeng.

The company plans to begin mass production of the robots by the end of this year, starting with commercial applications in XPeng stores and campuses, and delivering widely to domestic and overseas markets in 2027.

"We are creating a new type of robot with comprehensive capabilities that can truly integrate with people and ultimately become a companion in their daily lives," he said.