In addition, China’s newly developed Robot industry (such as service robots) often requires self-developed reducers and motors, and is also responsible for the application development of the server side, which makes the industrial chain very long, which brings about the problem of low efficiency and does not form a whole. A good and stable business model, this pattern needs to be gradually transformed over time.
The rapid development of China’s Robot industry is already top-notch in some areas, but moving forward requires innovative thinking
Zhao Mingguo said that China’s Robot industry has been developing rapidly in the past ten years. It is not on the same level as the top foreign countries, but the speed of catching up is relatively fast. In some hot areas, China’s growth rate is the highest, but he is considering how to reach or how to surpass the first echelon. It is difficult to be one step ahead of others.
“If you are ranked in the dozens, the way of doing things is also very simple, that is to imitate others, there are not many choices, just follow up directly. But when you reach the top few, the choices you face become more and more difficult. , because once the wrong choice is made, it will not necessarily move forward, but may retreat. From this point of view, it is the most difficult for China to achieve essential changes in these (frontier) fields. Now many Robot manufacturers, including basic components, complete machines, All applications have this problem and are facing major changes, but there is no model to refer to at this time, and you need to make your own judgment and choice.” Zhao Mingguo said bluntly.
For example, he said that China has made the right choice in some areas, such as DJI has become a leader in the drone industry, “We are not necessarily the best in technology, but we have changed the situation in commercial applications. , this is the best for commodities. In terms of robotics, we have also realized that foreign countries want to imitate our commercial part or imitate our technology, but there are not many such examples, and it has not achieved the overall Leading, so good companies, at this stage, are considering how to independently think about innovation.”
In terms of how to better catch up with the top level, Zhao Mingguo believes that my country is currently facing a shortage of talents. “Specifically, the so-called talent shortage is not because we train fewer people, but the point of demand and training does not necessarily match. Due to the rapid development of the robot industry Faster, and now we need some talents with innovative thinking. People in their twenties and thirties are the most creative stage, but this is not the training mode during the study period. When it is necessary to play, the proportion of people with relatively innovative thinking is low.”
In his opinion, more research should be done in terms of overall strategy, and even some models should be changed from colleges and universities, “In the past, we followed, and trained people in this way, we just need to make technology well, we don’t need to think too much. The problem of creativity, because the road has been traveled by others after all. But now there are many new problems to be solved, which already have some signs in colleges and universities, including the creative competition conducted by students, which is not the same as before. If the policy includes Guidance in terms of courses learned, activities participated in, and design of disciplines will change the current situation, but it should be a relatively long process, and it will take five to ten years to see results.”
All self-research of the emerging robot industry leads to a long industrial chain and a decrease in efficiency
It is understood that many emerging robot companies in China are currently facing shortages of supply chains or shortages of spare parts. Regarding this phenomenon, Zhao Mingguo said that according to his observation, if a company wants to scale, it must have an (industrial chain) layout. For example, the automobile industry has become a model of OEMs or suppliers, but in the robotics industry, although industrial robots are similar to the automobile industry, newly developed robots such as service robots have not developed according to a model similar to the automobile industry, but have developed from the most basic From the parts and components to the final commercial application, all of them are “one-manufactured” and integrated by themselves. This phenomenon is relatively serious in China.
Zhao Mingguo believes that this actually results in a low level of efficiency. It is impossible for an enterprise to solve all problems, which leads to the constant problem of parts and components, and the overall situation has not formed a good and stable business model, ” For example, to make some kind of quadruped robot, the OEM is responsible for making the robot, but the reducer and motor are purchased from somewhere, and there are good suppliers who can guarantee the quality, which can maximize the overall benefit. But at present, most robots in China Companies need to develop their own components such as reducers, motors, and even servers and clients, which makes the industry chain particularly long, from basic machining, component machining to final commercial and artificial intelligence sales. do it all.”
In his view, the current pattern of China’s robot industry is like this. It may gradually stabilize and become another pattern over time and after a few years, but it is difficult to judge whether it will evolve into a similar automobile industry. rule to decide. However, large-scale manufacturing and production can generate economic benefits, and the integrated supply chain will inevitably appear. Maybe the current robot industry has not reached the corresponding level, because no one will integrate the supply chain for hundreds, one or two thousand robots, and the industry has grown in scale. It will force these companies to integrate themselves from start to finish.
In addition, Zhao Mingguo believes that there is no need to worry too much about the use of robots to replace labor. “In fact, any new thing has this problem, such as whether the car will replace the carriage, but in fact an industry disappears, but people in the industry can change jobs. An industry that builds and maintains robots will also be born. Robots can replace humans to do heavy or dislike work, which can liberate human productivity, and society will continue to progress and move forward.”
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