China: Humanoid robot boom lifts demand for joint modules in China.

【Voice_over】 As China’s humanoid robot industry continues to advance, companies that make joint modules for the robots are expanding operations to meet demand. There are two main types of joint modules for humanoid robots: those with harmonic reducers, and those with planetary gear reducers. Typically, the upper body of a humanoid robot, which needs to lift, hold and manipulate objects, relies on harmonic reducers, while the lower body, responsible for walking and jumping, uses gear reducers for better agility and power. The deputy general manager of a company that makes precision robotic components says the industry is innovating every day. 【Sound_bite】 Chu Jianhua, deputy general manager, Leaderdrive, robotics component company: "This is a harmonic-reducer-based joint module. It can be made incredibly small and light -- the one I'm holding weighs less than 400 grams, yet it allows a robot's arm to handle a four-to five-kilogram load at the endpoint. At the humanoid robot marathon held recently, we saw some robots using planetary reducers. Those offer stronger burst force and greater rigidity. The humanoid robot and embedded robot market is driving the development of the entire supply chain and new technologies at a pace accelerating by the day." 【Voice_over】 The head of another company that makes joint modules says they’re using automated production lines make sure they meet demand for quantity without sacrificing quality. 【Sound_bite】 Du Ying, head, Shanghai facility, Eyou Robot Technology: "This entire production line is inside a newly built 1,000-square-meter 100,000-level dust-free workshop. A fully assembled joint module comes off the line every 90 seconds. We plan to replicate this model at our facility in Wuxi City, and build 30 similar lines there. That would enlarge our annual capacity to nearly three million units." 【Voice_over】 Notably, as China’s technology has gotten faster and mass production has scaled up, manufacturing costs for humanoid robot joint modules have gone down, creating lower prices for consumers. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]