At CES 2025, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang spotlighted key application scenarios for GPUs, among which embodied AI robots drew global attention. Yet, physical AI technologies that are reshaping manufacturing and logistics present even more immediate, tangible transformations — with mobile robots at the core.

Since their emergence around 2014, mobile robots have significantly disrupted the logistics equipment industry. In just a few years, they’ve evolved to handle diverse transport units and complex order processing, expanding from e-commerce into retail distribution and manufacturing. “Customer needs are no longer limited to order picking; new demands such as production line delivery have emerged,” recalls Yang Wei, CEO of Quicktron. “This trend prompted us to reimagine the future of mobile robotics amid their widespread adoption in smart factories and smart warehousing.”

Dual Dual-Engines: A Four-Pillar Strategy

Quicktron’s deep understanding of industry-specific applications led to the identification of mobile robots' core values: improving human efficiency and space utilization. This insight shaped the company’s strategic path, built on what Yang Wei refers to as the “two dual-engines.”

The first dual-engine consists of Quicktron’s focus on two major scenarios: order fulfillment systems for retail distribution and material handling systems for manufacturing logistics. The second dual-engine addresses differentiated product strategies based on domestic and international market demands.

These dual strategies have defined Quicktron’s four business pillars. Since 2021, the company has aligned its development around these quadrants, adopting an operational model that emphasizes “training in the Chinese market, generating revenue in overseas markets.” By positioning material handling as a strategic control point and order fulfillment as the core value driver, Quicktron has built a scalable, adaptive model for sustainable growth.

Mobile Robots as Foundational Units

Yang acknowledges that this journey has not been without its challenges. For Chinese companies like Quicktron venturing into deep global waters, navigating shifting customer needs, geopolitics, and economic conditions is essential.

“Mobile robots have entered a mature growth phase,” Yang explains. “As they increasingly become the foundational infrastructure for smart factories and smart warehouses, we foresee enormous growth potential both in China and globally.” He adds, “To capitalize on this opportunity, we must penetrate local markets more deeply, delivering products and solutions that offer real commercial value. No so-called ‘barrier’ can block the flow of technology and business development.”

Global Markets, Local Challenges: Product and Service Remain the Key

While the mobile robotics market in China is highly competitive, international markets are steadily recognizing the technology’s value. This recognition brings strong growth potential. However, global clients place significant emphasis on service continuity.

Quicktron has taken proactive steps to gain global trust by building local service teams, partner networks, and even manufacturing facilities, while ensuring compliance with regional standards and regulations.

Taking Europe as an example, CE certification is a prerequisite for business entry. Though CE certification for industrial vehicles doesn’t fully align with mobile robotics, Quicktron has invested tens of millions of RMB to meet the necessary standards.

“This process takes time and significant resources,” Yang notes. “But laying this groundwork is essential for long-term development. There are no shortcuts.”

A Full-Scenario Product Ecosystem

As part of its “dual dual-engine” strategy, Quicktron set forth a vision of “intelligent driving within four walls” and a mission to “liberate humans from material handling.” The company delivers integrated solutions built around mobile robot fleets and intelligent operating systems, helping clients streamline internal logistics and drive efficiency.

Many first encountered Quicktron through its goods-to-person picking systems powered by under-ride robots. Today, Quicktron offers a comprehensive product ecosystem, including:

• Full range of moving robots
• Bin-to-person robots
• Forklift-style autonomous robots

On the software side, Quicktron has developed intelligent algorithms and virtual simulation capabilities, supporting features like multi-robot collaboration, dynamic slotting, route planning, order wave grouping, task allocation.

Versatile Solutions for Warehousing and Manufacturing

Quicktron’s current solution portfolio includes:

• QuickBin Solution: Combines dense storage with goods-to-person picking, ideal for high-volume inbound/outbound operations, and efficiently handles piece picking and large-scale SKU returns.
• Smart Picking Solution: Features AI-powered algorithms that support complete workflows (in/out-bound, picking, replenishment, returns, inventory checks) at workstations. It’s integrated with the smart bin-handling solution that adapts to diverse scenarios — from shelf-to-line delivery in manufacturing to online/offline sorting in e-commerce.
• Smart Transport Solution: Enables flexible, intelligent movement of pallets and racks throughout the production process, including docks, storage, sorting areas, ASRS, conveyors, robotic arms, elevators, fast doors, and line-side delivery.

Yang concludes, “Compared to the past, today’s mobile robots possess vastly improved intelligence — from positioning and navigation to perception and decision-making — at significantly reduced costs. This includes not just hardware, but also computational costs for supporting algorithms.” He adds, “We’ve also brought in engineers from the autonomous vehicle industry to strengthen our intelligent driving capabilities — because we believe that mobile robotics is just getting started.”