- Rotunbot’s spherical robot targets patrol, surveillance and industrial inspection markets
- The company has expanded overseas as demand grows for specialized autonomous machines
A Hangzhou robotics startup is betting that a rolling sphere can succeed where wheeled and four-legged robots dominate, as demand rises for autonomous security and inspection systems.
Rotunbot (逻腾科技) recently showcased its RT-G spherical security robot, days before Zhejiang Governor Liu Jie visited the company during a June 8 tour of technology firms focused on turning research into commercial products.
Rotunbot was one of three companies included in the visit.
Spherical robot
Based in Hangzhou’s Qiantang District, the company focuses on specialized robotics manufacturing.
Its flagship RT-G droid measures 0.8 meters in diameter, weighs about 160 kilograms and can reach speeds of up to 30 kilometers per hour, accelerating to top speed in 2.5 seconds.
Unlike conventional wheeled or quadruped robots, the RT-G moves by rolling. Engineers house its key components inside a high-strength composite shell that can withstand impacts of up to four tons.
The robot carries IP68-rated protection against dust and water, offers explosion resistance and operates in temperatures ranging from minus 30 degrees Celsius to 65 degrees Celsius.
According to Rotunbot, the machine uses an L4 autonomous driving system and combines multiple cameras with radar sensors to patrol independently, plan routes, avoid obstacles and transmit live high-definition video.
A single charge provides eight to 10 hours of operation or up to 120 kilometers of travel. The machine can also move across land and water, allowing it to operate in environments such as tidal flats, embankments and open water.
A cradle of roboticists
Founder and Chief Executive Wang You serves as an associate professor and doctoral supervisor at the College of Control Science and Engineering at Zhejiang University, a program that has produced several robotics entrepreneurs.
Noted founders from the school include DEEP Robotics’ Zhu Qiuguo and Li Chao, as well as Xiong Rong.
Xiong, a distinguished professor at Zhejiang University, founded autonomous mobile robot company Iplus Mobot (迦智科技) in 2016 and later helped launch the Zhejiang Humanoid Robot Innovation Center in 2023, where she serves as chief scientist.
Security-related use cases
Rotunbot has deployed the RT-G across a range of applications in China. The robot has joined police patrols in Wenzhou’s Lucheng District and carries out security and inspection tasks at airports, underground utility tunnels, energy and chemical facilities, and major public events.
Vice General Manager Duan Tianye said the company generated more than $1 million in overseas sales in 2025, with customers in the Middle East, North America and Africa.
Duan said order deliveries are fully booked for the next three months and forecast strong revenue growth in 2026.
