China's robot skin sector is now moving toward mass production as rising demand from the fast-developing humanoid robot industry brings growing orders and accelerates product application.
The expansion of humanoid robot industry has been boosting the demand for bionic skin, with a textile equipment manufacturer based in Changshu City, east China's Jiangsu Province, receiving 13,000 orders in June alone.
The enterprise is capable of producing soft textile that can conduct heat, prevent static electricity, and provide collision buffering.
"Humanoid robots' clothing looks just like human clothing from a distance, but they are actually different in many points. First, they are different in the way they are put on and taken off. Second, they are different in their joints. You see this purely white clothing of ours, we make different structures and differentiations at many joints, not only to meet its strength, elasticity and supportive capacity, but also to take care of its heat dissipation," said Liang Yong, general manager of the business department of Jiangsu Jinlong Technology Co., Ltd.
China's flexible sensing enterprises are also accelerating the mass production of robot skin. A sensor manufacturing company in the nearby Suzhou City is capable of producing flexible thin-film pressure sensors, which enable robots to sense the magnitude of force and control their gripping strength.
"Humanoid robots now can use their 'hands' to grasp eggs, drive screws, and perform many other similar tasks. We expect humanoid robots to enter households in the future, so they should be able to sense the touch like caress. Our electronic skin is also able to generate heat, so when you shake hands with a robot, you can feel the warmth of its hand," said Zhou Zhen, chairman of Suzhou Nengsida Electronic Technology Co., Ltd.
Industry insiders said currently, the robot skin sector is at a critical turning point, where many firms are moving away from small-scale lab-based manufacturing to establish standardized production lines for mass production.
"We have now cumulatively delivered over 40,000 units for our orders and many of them were ordered in the past six months. This demonstrates that the demand for the industry is growing rapidly," said Chen Shuting, principal scientist at Zhejiang Fulai New Materials Co., Ltd.
China's robot skin aims at mass production
American businesses are eager for cheaper imports ahead of the Christmas shopping season, even after pre-stocking led to record cargo volumes at California's busiest ports from July to August amid steeper tariffs on Chinese goods.
Following the recent meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump, proposed tariff reductions on toys and other consumer goods are offering hope of lower costs for American businesses and shoppers.
However, many U.S. suppliers and shops began stocking up for the holidays well before the reduction was announced. As a result, the Port of Los Angeles, America's busiest container port, saw an unprecedented summer.
More than 2.9 million units were handled at the port in just three months, with cargo ships arriving and cranes unloading around the clock. The historic highs may have been driven in part by uncertainty about future tariffs.
"When tariffs are announced, we see a big rush of cargo, so the products can get here before they're taxed with higher levels, and then afterwards we see a real downturn in the cargo flow because inventory has been built up," said Eugene Seroka, executive director at the Port of Los Angeles.
Last year, 82 billion U.S. dollars' worth of goods passed through the Port of Los Angeles in trade with China alone. Together with Long Beach, it forms America's largest container port complex.
"When you look at our cargo volumes, we are ahead of where we were last year, and last year was a record for us. This year, due largely to the front-loading activity employed by our shippers, we saw Christmas shipments arriving as early as May and June," said Dr. Noel Hacegaba, chief executive officer at Port of Long Beach.
Cargo that arrives at the ports ends up in warehouses across the U.S. With possible tariff relief on Chinese-made toys coming just before the holidays, businesses are watching to see whether lower costs could reach consumers.
Toy wholesaler Claire Martinsen imports all her merchandise from China. Trump's tariffs initially left her fearing for her business.
"We were nervous. We were really scared at that time because the company was growing and we were actively hiring at the same time," said Martinsen.
Her company absorbed much of the added costs, but lower tariffs could bring relief.
"When President Xi and President Trump met, I was ecstatic. I knew something had to happen. Right now, we're averaging at about three to four containers a week. During the holiday seasons, we're expecting about seven to 10 containers a week," she said.
At a Los Angeles toy store, shopper Maria Rodriguez hopes prices will fall.
"It's good for our wallets because we'll be able to stretch our money and buy gifts for everyone," she said.
For families facing rising costs, easing trade tensions could make Christmas a little more affordable.
US businesses eye more holiday season imports after record cargo at California ports
