The development of material handling robots in my country began in the early 1970s, with researchers spontaneously developing their own robotic systems. Shanghai Automotive Parts Factory No. 2 developed a robotic arm for stamping automotive lamp housings, and Tianjin Forging Machinery Factory developed a robotic arm for loading and unloading for forgings. Early robotic arms used a simple "stop" positioning control principle.
During the 12th Five-Year Plan period, the independent R&D capabilities of domestically produced robots significantly improved. Guangzhou CNC launched the RJ05 material handling robot with completely independent intellectual property rights. In the fields of material handling and loading/unloading, domestically produced industrial robots can now basically compete with foreign brands.
Currently, intelligent material handling systems have become sophisticated material flow systems, encompassing precise positioning, reliable gripping, and intelligent control. In the future, supported by revolutionary technologies such as 5G, digital twins, edge computing, the Internet of Things, and artificial intelligence, material handling systems will evolve towards flexibility, autonomy, and collaboration, ultimately moving towards highly intelligent autonomy.
