- The new company in Hengqin comes days after more than 300 AgiBot robots entered regular service at Chimelong Spaceship
- The move could turn the theme park into a long-term test bed for robot deployment, operations and model improvement
Shanghai-based humanoid robot startup AgiBot (智元机器人) has established a new company in Hengqin, a special economic zone in southern Guangdong’s Zhuhai, just days after opening what it calls the world’s first large-scale embodied-AI theme park.
The launch signals a shift from a high-profile deployment toward longer-term operations.
Shanghai-based AgiBot’s wholly owned AgiBot (Hengqin) Technology and Culture Co. was recently established with business activities covering robotics R&D and sales as well as AI software development, according to corporate registration data released September 29.
The theme park debut
The new company was established just five days after Chimelong Spaceship in Hengqin opened on September 24.
More than 300 AgiBot robots are now operating at more than 100 interactive points across seven areas, including entertainment, education, visitor guidance, retail, companion tours and hotel services.
The same day, AgiBot delivered its 20,000th robot, an Expedition A3 Ultra, to Chimelong, a major hospitality and theme park operator in China.
The two sides also established a joint research institute focused on embodied AI in tourism and signed a 10-year strategic cooperation agreement.
The sequence matters. Deploying more than 300 robots in a month demonstrated that AgiBot could put embodied AI into a large commercial venue.
Establishing a local company suggests the next challenge is keeping those robots running and improving their performance over time.
From deployment to daily operations
For AgiBot, the theme park offers something that laboratory testing cannot easily provide: repeated interaction with large numbers of visitors in an uncontrolled environment.
Chimelong Spaceship has attracted more than 10 million visitors since opening, according to the park operator.
Robots working there will encounter a wide range of conversations, movements and operating conditions, potentially providing useful feedback for improving their models and applications.
AgiBot CTO Peng Zhihui (彭志辉) has previously said the company faces a shortage of data, making large-scale real-world deployment one potential way to expand its data resources.
The Hengqin company could allow AgiBot to place R&D, operations and scenario development closer to the robots themselves.
Instead of treating the theme park as a one-off showcase, the company can use it as a continuing environment for testing and refining its systems.
One-off showcase or here to stay
That also raises a harder question.
More than 300 robots appearing at a park is one thing; keeping them reliable day after day is another. They will have to operate amid crowds, noise and unpredictable interactions while maintaining service quality.
The long-term performance of the deployment will determine what comes next for the Chimelong project. It could remain a high-profile demonstration or become a model AgiBot can replicate across other tourist attractions and commercial venues.
And that could matter significantly for a company looking to diversify its revenue streams ahead of a potential Hong Kong listing.
Header image credit: AgiBot’s official WeChat
