"There is much expectation that a single humanoid robot will replace everything, but for the next 10 to 20 years, various types of robots will coexist with humans. Just as a shark exists as the top predator in the ocean, while millions of other life forms thrive, the robot ecosystem will also diversify in this manner."
David Chen, CEO of EcoBox Robotics, said on the 27th at the opening keynote of the country's largest tech conference, 'SMARTCLOUD SHOW 2025', held at the Westin Chosun Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. He projected that robots will not converge into a single universal humanoid but will instead coexist in various specialized forms across different fields. Established in 1998, EcoBox is the largest robot vacuum cleaner corporation in China and is recognized as the leader in cumulative global robot vacuum cleaner sales.
Chen noted the slow popularization of humanoid robots is due to the 'limits of intelligence.' He pointed out, "The hardware of robots is rapidly advancing, but the limitation is the intelligence to autonomously complete complex tasks in the unpredictable real world." He mentioned that at a recent world robot competition held in China, humanoid robots showcased impressive movements such as running and jumping, but many relied on remote control and lacked autonomous decision-making capabilities.
For this reason, he forecasted that in the near future, robots specialized in specific areas will take root in everyday life. Robots specialized in fields such as cleaning, logistics, and garden management will play their respective roles alongside humans.
Chen found the essential value of robots in 'time'. He said, "I often get asked whether robots will replace humans, and I believe robots are entities that take the time humans used to spend and give it back so that they can do what they want to do." In fact, EcoBox has reportedly saved users worldwide over 2 billion hours through its indoor robot vacuum cleaners, window cleaning robots, and outdoor autonomous lawnmowers. This amounts to the equivalent of about 3,200 lives based on an average life expectancy of 75 years. Chen emphasized, "The role of robots is to help people engage in more valuable activities instead of simple labor."
This philosophy is reflected in the development of technology as well. Chen presented '3S (Space, Setting, Service)' as the core concept of the evolution of home robots. He explained that an understanding of the space (Space) through accurate mapping of the surrounding environment with lidar and sensors, situational judgment (Setting) through camera vision to comprehend objects and situations, and service (Service) based on these, combined, will lead to the evolution of robots.
He said, "For instance, as soon as the robot recognizes the pet food, the side brush rotation will slow down to prevent the food from scattering, and the suction power of the main motor will increase to effectively suck up the surrounding dust." He added, "This result is a combination of tens of thousands of lines of code that process more than 10 motors and sensors and 10,000 data points simultaneously, which is in a completely different realm from simple home appliances."
EcoBox plans to expand beyond home robots into various service robot sectors. Chen stated, "Robots that perform specific tasks very efficiently and at a reasonable price currently possess optimal survival conditions," adding that understanding the fundamental technological capabilities of robots and combining them can create business opportunities while simultaneously fulfilling consumer needs.