Chinese embodied intelligence technologies are expanding into overseas manufacturing, with Hangzhou Yingshen Intelligent Technology Co signing agreements to deploy hundreds of flexible robots at footwear factories in Vietnam.

Yingshen Intelligence, an artificial intelligence company specializing in 4D world models and embodied intelligence, said the robots will support the flexible and intelligent upgrading of footwear production lines, initially focusing on gluing and sole pressing before being gradually introduced into sewing, finished-product packaging and automated shoelace threading.

Powered by the company's proprietary 4D world model, visual perception and motion-control algorithms, the robots are designed to identify changes in materials and production conditions and adjust their operations in real time, the company said.

Such capabilities are particularly important in footwear manufacturing, where differences in shoe styles, sizes and materials, together with the deformation of flexible materials, pose challenges for conventional automation.

The company said its ShadowGlue and ShadowPress robots can respond to variations in shoe shape, material position, deformation and adhesive conditions, enabling them to adapt to changing production requirements without extensive modifications to existing production lines.

The cooperation will be carried out in phases, with the partners eventually aiming to build a benchmark footwear factory in Vietnam that applies embodied intelligence technologies across multiple production processes, according to the company.

Beyond selling robotic equipment, Yingshen Intelligence said it plans to provide overseas customers with model inference, algorithm updates and scenario-specific optimization services.

Industry observers said such a model-driven approach, with robots serving as physical carriers of algorithms and computing capabilities, could create greater long-term service value for embodied intelligence products and offer a new pathway for Chinese technological solutions to expand into overseas markets.