Boonray Technologys Hu Xinyi: Opening up the ubiquitous robotics market from small scenarios | Magneto, please speak

Image | Hu Xinyi, CEO and founder of Boonray Technology

In Hu Xinyi's view, the maturity of information technology has spurred a revolution in the robotics industry, creating opportunities for the implementation of ubiquitous robotics technology. Boonray Technology, a company specializing in ubiquitous robotics, has gradually demonstrated its advantages, leveraging applications in photovoltaics, mining, and other sectors.

After nearly a decade of development, intelligent robots are no longer a new phenomenon. They are not only present on production lines in factories and other areas, but have also permeated everyday life, including clothing, housing, and transportation. However, the functional components of various robots are heterogeneous and distributed, posing new challenges for the entire industry in terms of communication and collaboration. This has necessitated the emergence of ubiquitous robotics, the third generation of robotics.

As one of the earliest researchers in China to conduct research on ubiquitous robotics, Professor Cao Qixin of the Institute of Mechanical Engineering at Shanghai Jiao Tong University has accumulated extensive experience in this field for over a decade. Consequently, after keenly sensing this market opportunity, Boonray Technology, a company that emerged from the Institute, began the process of commercializing the technology.

When discussing the opportunity to establish the company, Boonray Technology CEO and Founder Hu Xinyi stated that the key was technological development. "Professor Cao was a mentor to our partner and CTO, Yang Bo. During our research, we saw this technological trend, especially the increasing maturity of communications and IoT technologies. We felt it was time to enter the market for third-generation robotics."

The trend toward integrating automation and informatization is clear, ushering in commercial opportunities for ubiquitous robots.

Ubiquitous robotics technology is the product of the integration of componentized robotics with networking. Its emergence represents a qualitative leap from traditional robotics research and development concepts, earning it the nickname "third-generation robotics." Compared to research on individual robots, ubiquitous robotics focuses more on multi-robot collaboration and environmental intelligence.

Hu Xinyi explained, "Ubiquitous robotics technology focuses not on data collection or the precision with which robots must perform specific operations, but rather on machine-to-machine communication and the collaborative interaction between robots and humans. Simply put, we prefer the design of a complete system."

Because the technology itself is more holistic, it involves more specialized technologies. Therefore, unlike the robotics market, which focuses on single application scenarios like industrial and service robots, the ubiquitous robotics field has relatively little experience, the concept is relatively new, and few manufacturers are exploring or experimenting with it.

"I have worked in the automation industry for many years, particularly for multinational companies. Before my country's robotics industry fully took off, many international companies were already producing excellent robots for industrial and other fields. However, in those early years, information and communications technology was not as mature as it is today, so ubiquitous robotics did not find good opportunities for implementation."

As Hu Xinyi noted, while individual robotics industries developed earlier and have a deep technical foundation, the ubiquitous robotics field has been hindered by the development of information technology.

In 2015, driven by the "robot-replacing-human" trend, my country's robotics market entered a period of explosive growth, with shipments soaring. Driven by this growing demand and policy initiatives, a large number of domestic robotics companies emerged, spurring the development of the industry chain. Simultaneously, deep learning algorithms, cloud computing, and 5G communication technologies were also rapidly developing, accelerating the process of intelligentization and spawning a surge in AI applications.

Automation and information technology converged at this juncture. Driven by demand, my country's overall shift toward "intelligence" created market opportunities for ubiquitous robotics. In response to this development, Hu Xinyi officially founded Boonray Technology in 2015.

Integrating cloud-edge-end technologies to connect robots and the internet

Building networks for robots and their applications, "cloud-edge-end" is undoubtedly the optimal network architecture. Based on this logic, Hu Xinyi builds networks for clients, helping them achieve digital transformation, tailored to their specific needs.

"First, we will upgrade the automated equipment within the scenario to intelligent devices. Next, we will build an operational backend, similar to an IoT platform, to connect various devices and provide monitoring, storage, and data analysis. We will also leverage backend analysis to implement intelligent scheduling and other functions. Finally, we will build a cloud to analyze IoT platform data. This will assist us in the intelligent transformation of equipment and help us improve robot safety designs."

Through the intelligent transformation of equipment and the establishment of a "cloud-edge-end" network for specific application scenarios, Boonray Technology quickly developed its own product line logic based on upstream and downstream collaboration.

Hu Xinyi explained, "Working closely with hardware manufacturers, we primarily develop an internet platform and automated transformation algorithms, including the necessary modules, based on their machines."

Based on their collaboration with DJI, Boonray Technology will add connected automatic control modules and onboard intelligent modules to drones based on specific scenarios, enabling remote control, autonomous flight, and automatic data collection. Furthermore, Boonray Technology has developed a dedicated drone flight control app to complement the hardware, enabling route planning, flight area restrictions, cloud connectivity, and account management.

It's worth noting that thanks to the added modules and the synergy between software and hardware, drones' data collection, transmission, and processing capabilities have been significantly enhanced. This has become the key to drones' suitability for real-world scenarios (such as photovoltaic power plant operation and maintenance). However, being able to freely manipulate these machines is no easy feat. Boonray Technology's technical team plays a decisive role, and this is what differentiates it in the industrial internet boom.

"Unlike internet or algorithm companies, our technical team has a deep background and expertise in robotics, which is crucial."

Targeting "small" scenarios, driving digital transformation based on demand

Currently, Boonray Technology has a deep market presence in photovoltaic power plant operation and maintenance. With the completion of its Pre-A round of financing, Boonray will focus on its next key scenario: smart mining. Unlike many companies that prioritize applications and scenarios, Boonray Technology prefers closed, "small" scenarios.

Speaking of this, Hu Xinyi stated that the scenarios chosen at each stage were indeed carefully considered. "After experimenting with many scenarios, we found that several aspects needed to be considered when selecting them. First, the scenario needed to be restrictive, as such a scenario is free of social interference and is the simplest scenario for technical testing and implementation. Second, we needed to consider whether customers had any pain points in areas such as human resources, safety, and efficiency. Finally, we needed to consider whether the market investment in this scenario was substantial—in other words, the broader environment."

Based on these three key dimensions, Boonray Technology selected photovoltaics, mining, and industrial parks as three key scenarios, and has been developing and deepening its presence in each of them.

Currently, its focus is on mining. Hu Xinyi explained, "For us, mining is a closed and high-risk environment, and recruiting miners is becoming increasingly difficult, making it a very good choice. Furthermore, in this scenario, there are drones patrolling in the sky, mining trucks driving back and forth on the ground, and excavators distributed throughout the site. These devices can easily be linked together, facilitating intelligent transformation. Furthermore, through intelligent transformation in this scenario, we can quickly achieve results and demonstrate our comprehensive technical strength."

Simply put, in Hu Xinyi's mind, scenarios like mining represent truly urgent needs, and the so-called selection criteria are essentially about exploring the compatibility between technology and scenario requirements.

He added, "In recent years, many people have advocated for educating the market or educating customers, but I don't think that's right. Demand exists at all times. Only by addressing it can you be valuable and have a market."

Finally, despite having the technology and identifying the right scenarios, advancing the digital transformation of traditional enterprises is not easy. For Boonray Technology, system adjustments and a deep understanding of the scenarios require continuous accumulation and careful thought.

"Furthermore, from a cost perspective, moving towards platformization is a good strategy. However, refining a standardized platform across different scenarios is not an easy task. For now, we still need to take it step by step and continue to accumulate experience."