Time for a recharge: Beijing to launch first AI robot '4S store'

Beijing plans to launch the world's first ‘4S store’ for artificial intelligence (AI) robots, offering services including robot sales and maintenance.

The ‘4S store’ typically refers to an authorized dealership, known as "sales, service, spare parts, and surveys.” Similarly, the store will offer services like robot sales, maintenance, parts supply, and customer information services.

“As the industry develops, it’s crucial to build an integrated one-stop platform to meet service demands,” said Liang Liang, deputy director of the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area (BDA) Administrative Committee.

The facility will have a nationwide rapid-response parts supply network and a professional support team for robot maintenance, assembly, and repair.

According to the press conference, the robot 4S store will also include immersive displays and scenario-based demonstrations to help customers choose their product and understand its capabilities – such as soccer matches, singing, and dancing.

Meanwhile, industry leaders are already eager to jump on the ‘4s store’ train. Over 100 supply chain enterprises in the robotics sector are looking to join the platform. Ten leading embodied AI robot firms, including the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center, UBTECH, and Galaxea, are expected to be among the first ones to move in.

A pilot version of the store will officially open in a robotics industrial park in Yizhuang, located in southern Beijing, during the 2025 World Robot Conference, which is set for August 8th-12th. A full upgrade is expected in November.

Yizhuang was chosen strategically since it’s considered a key hub for Beijing's robotics sector, boasting over 300 robotics and smart manufacturing enterprises.