Visiting a robotics company in Shanghai: dual-arm robots and a development site
In November 2026, DigiRise CEO Masahiro Chaen visited a robotics company in Shanghai. Here is what we saw — from a dual-arm robot folding towels to the showroom and development site.
Through autumn 2026 DigiRise has been visiting physical AI companies in Shenzhen, Hangzhou and Shanghai. On November 2 we visited a robotics company in Shanghai. Here is what we saw and what it means for deploying robots in Japan.
Why see robots in person
Catalogs and demo videos don't show how reliably a robot runs or how ready production and shipping really are. Standing in front of a real unit shows speed, stopping behavior, safety thinking and even the size of the engineering team.
A dual-arm robot folding towels
In the lab, a dual-arm robot was folding towels. Handling soft, shapeless items has long been hard for conventional industrial robots, and it opens up uses such as logistics picking and linen handling at hotels and hospitals.
The showroom and development site
The site had a visitor showroom that explains, with video and real units, where and how the robots are used — which makes it easier to picture a deployment.
Large wooden crates also lined the entrance. Robots need dedicated packing for transport, and importing to Japan also involves shipping, customs, radio certification and safety checks.
What matters when bringing robots to Japanese sites
The more we hear on the ground, the clearer it is that understanding the site comes before choosing the robot. DigiRise works in this order:
- 1Hear your tasks and issues
- 2Visit your warehouse or factory and watch the work
- 3Map the site in 3D to see where robots can move
- 4Set requirements, then search partners in China and makers worldwide
- 5Validate with 3D simulation and a PoC before import, deployment and after-sales care
See the full flow on our service page.
Factory tours in China
For companies that want to see robots before deciding, we arrange tours to makers in Shenzhen, Hangzhou and Shanghai. Contact us to plan one.
Photos were taken by DigiRise during the visit. We do not name the host company or share unannounced information.
Robots in this post
ImageAgiBot G2
A wheeled dual-arm robot for industry, commercial use and research. Its two 7-DOF arms have full torque sensing, and its height adjusts up to roughly 175–180 cm. It carries two LiDARs and RGB-D cameras and runs models like GO-1 for precision assembly and handling. In June 2026 a G2 became AgiBot's cumulative 15,000th robot.
ImageGalbot S1
An industrial and logistics robot for heavy loads, launched in January 2026. Its two arms handle up to 50 kg for picking, transfer and loading across a vertical range of about 2.4 m. Shipment status is not officially confirmed.
ImageR1 Lite
General mobile-manipulation platform with dual 6-DoF arms, used as the platform for Physical Intelligence's π0.5.