In the lobby of the Hilton Hotel in Washington, a robot skillfully navigates through the guests, takes the elevator by itself, and delivers breakfast to a guest room on the top floor. This isn’t a scene from a dystopian movie—the 1.2-meter-tall helper is one of the “Dinerbot T5” service robots developed by Keenon Robotics.
In China, seeing robots in restaurants and hotels serving tea and water has become commonplace. However, in developed regions like Europe and the US, or in developing areas such as Southeast Asia, robot helpers are still a novelty. Most of these robots are manufactured in Shanghai, China.
As a manufacturing powerhouse, China benefits from lower component costs, efficient supply chains, and robust industrial clusters, making exporting robots a key strategy for Chinese robotics companies.
Since 2016, Keenon has been at the forefront of commercial service robotics, launching its first stable commercial service robot, “Peanut.” By 2021, the company leveraged the social distancing needs brought on by the pandemic, rapidly expanding into overseas markets and becoming one of the first commercial robots to go abroad. According to 36Kr, Keenon Robotics’ commercial robots are now present in over 60 countries worldwide.
Exporting robots is more challenging than selling them domestically. Keenon’s COO, Wan Bin, explained that, while Chinese manufacturers excel in core technology and mass production, building a supply chain and sending Chinese robots abroad is just the first step.
Localization is generally the key challenge.
Using dining as an example, scenario requirements vary greatly between regions depending on local characteristics.
Japanese and Korean cuisines, though often discussed together, have completely different eating habits. Wan noted that Korean barbecue and stone pot crockery are large and heavy, typically used to serve oilier varieties, while Japanese food is usually presented in smaller, delicate portions. These differences impact the service robot’s design and function.
Additionally, there are significant differences in the sequence of serving dishes and the frequency of waiters delivering dishes between Chinese and Western cuisines.
The insights above were derived from an interview conducted by 36Kr with Wan. The following transcript is a translation of that interview and has been edited and consolidated for brevity and clarity.
36Kr: Which products does Keenon Robotics sell overseas?
Wan Bin (WB): Keenon Robotics tailors its products based on the service scenarios and regional differences of various markets. For broad applications like those in restaurants and hotels, Keenon sells the same robots uniformly across multiple countries and regions.
When it comes to medical and healthcare robots, Keenon collaborates with local agents to understand the specific procurement processes and standards of each region’s medical system. By working with local partners, they can make slight adjustments to the original products.
36Kr: What’s the core technology of commercial robots?
WB: Keenon’s core capabilities focus on several aspects.
First, core technology, be it the sensors or other hardware, are entirely self-developed.
Second, our robust mass production capabilities guarantee that robots produced in large quantities operate stably and reliably.
Third, our robots possess strong interaction and scene generalization capabilities. Extensive environmental data is used to train the robots, enabling them to work efficiently in various scenarios and make independent judgments.
Many assume that the core technological difficulty of robots lies in hardware components like arms and wheels. However, the real challenge is generalization—enabling robots to apply their previous experiences and learning to new, unfamiliar scenarios.
For example, each restaurant has unique decor styles, dish sizes, and serving methods due to varying cuisines. The robot must be intelligent enough to recognize and adapt to these new environments, just like a human would.
Another example is robots serving in golf courses, which need to independently take elevators, dynamically adjust their optimal paths, and flexibly avoid obstacles.
36Kr: Are there differences in the technologies used in different markets?
WB: The technology used in our robots, including autonomous control and large model integrations, is consistent across different regional markets.
36Kr: How do you capture the differentiated characteristics of regional markets?
WB: Regional differences primarily manifest in two dimensions.
First, cultural differences, which are especially pronounced in dining habits. There are significant differences in how dishes are served and the frequency of waiter interactions between Chinese and Western cuisines. We must identify these regional eating habits and collaborate with local partners to provide tailored solutions that address these specific needs.
Second, socioeconomic factors also vary between regions, mainly reflected in the population structure.
Currently, commercial robot exports are primarily aimed at economically developed countries in Europe and America, where labor shortages and conflicts make the deployment of robots more valuable and necessary.
Additionally, there are more marked differences between regions. For example, the prevalence of fast food chains is much higher in the US compared to other countries. Conversely, in most Southeast Asian countries, chain restaurants are less common. Similarly, Japanese and Korean cuisines are often discussed together, but Korean barbecue and Japanese cuisine are completely different. Korean barbecue and stone pot bibimbap dishes are heavy, large, and greasy in nature, while the presentation of Japanese food is small and delicate.
By deeply exploring each market, we can uncover the specific demands and cultural nuances of different regions. Adopting an one-size-fits-all approach to diverse overseas markets is inefficient and wasteful.
36Kr: Do different regions have different demands and attitudes toward robots? How does Keenon respond?
WB: Chinese people are no longer surprised to see robots in restaurants and hotels, largely due to the three-year pandemic where social distancing required people to maintain a significant distance from each other, and robots gradually replaced manual labor to a certain extent, gaining public acceptance.
However, in some European and American countries, public awareness of robots remains limited. But from a demand perspective, these economically developed countries have the strongest demand for robots—they face severe aging populations and significant labor market conflicts.
To encourage acceptance of robots among European and American consumers, we need to integrate robots into real-world use cases. Compared to other exported products, robots are more inclined toward smart manufacturing, requiring a more complete and mature supply chain. Therefore, establishing more benchmark cases and example companies, such as the use of service robots in Haidilao restaurants, can help create a spillover effect from leading enterprises,
36Kr: What are the advantages of bringing Chinese robots abroad?
WB: Chinese robots have notable strengths in both service quality and hardware. Keenon Robotics, which established its international division in 2022, has achieved a balanced revenue split between domestic and international markets. According to IDC data, Keenon Robotics holds a commanding 60% market share in the Chinese commercial robot market, making it the leading company in this field.
As mentioned earlier, our commercial robots are mostly exported as complete units, benefiting from domestic production lines that make prices more affordable.
Moreover, from the perspective of robot intelligence, Chinese companies also have the advantage of scale. They serve a vast user base, which generates extensive environmental data. This data significantly enhances the robots’ interaction and generalization capabilities.
This article was written by Annabella Chang in Chinese and was originally published by 36Kr.
