recently, sunny optical technology group announced that it began mass production of robotic products for the first time last year. although the scale remains modest, the company has already identified its robotics business as one of the next-generation growth drivers.
in its 2025 annual report, sunny optical stated that in 2025 it successfully commenced mass production of products such as “lawn-mowing robots” and “automated warehouse solutions,” which have received high praise from key customers. the automated warehouse solution refers to an automation system that leverages robot vision technologies, including autonomous mobile robots (amrs) and automated guided vehicles (agvs). although sunny optical had previously mass-produced camera modules for robots, this marks the first time the company has announced mass production of complete robotic systems.
in performance data released prior to the annual report, sunny optical explained that robots have been steadily mass-produced and shipped in response to project requirements from top-tier customers. regarding the automated warehouse solution, the company stated that it has already initiated mass production and delivery to major clients. this is seen as a continuation of the initiatives mentioned in its 2024 annual report, where it noted that it had secured projects from well-known customers, with these projects now entering the mass-production phase last year. since its 2017 annual report, sunny optical has referenced “robots,” and related efforts have gradually become more concrete over time. the fact that it now directly manufactures complete robotic systems sets it apart from competitors in the camera-module sector, such as samsung electro-mechanics or lg innotek, which currently do not produce complete robots.
in its 2025 performance report, sunny optical indicated that it will leverage businesses such as warehouse automation, lawn mowing, and swimming-pool cleaning to drive business expansion and revenue growth, while building an ecosystem spanning from vision technology to system solutions and ultimately to complete robotic systems, thereby supporting the commercialization of humanoid robots. citing data from market-research firms, the company forecasts that the global humanoid-robot market will grow from 51,000 units in 2026 to 256,000 units in 2030, reaching 1.378 million units by 2035.
at present, the robotics business still accounts for a relatively small share of sunny optical’s overall revenue. the “other (pan-iot)” segment, which includes robots, portable imaging devices, ai-powered wearable cameras, and optical equipment, generated rmb 6.2 billion in revenue last year, representing about 14% of the company’s total revenue of rmb 43.2 billion. revenue in this segment increased by 37% year on year. by business segment, smartphone components posted the highest revenue at rmb 27.3 billion, up 9% year on year. as a manufacturer of both camera modules and lens modules, sunny optical can highlight to customers the vertical-integration advantages stemming from its in-house lens-module production.
the company noted that global smartphone shipments grew by 2% year on year in 2025, but demand for high-end camera modules remained robust. specifically, revenue from foldable zoom telephoto camera modules and associated lens modules increased by 56% and 21%, respectively, year on year. revenue from glass–plastic hybrid lenses surged by 96% over the same period, as their higher unit price currently makes them a priority for automotive applications.
revenue in other segments included rmb 7.3 billion from automotive components, rmb 2.4 billion from extended-reality products, and rmb 6.2 billion from other categories. last year, the company’s overall performance was rmb 43.2 billion in revenue and rmb 4.8 billion in net profit, with revenue up 13% year on year and net profit up 73% year on year. the substantial increase in net profit was partly attributable to an equity-exchange transaction with goertek inc., which generated approximately rmb 920 million in gains.
through this transaction, sunny optical transferred all shares in its subsidiary shanghai sunny omnilight and, via another subsidiary ningbo omnilight, acquired a 31.31% stake in goertek optoelectronics, a subsidiary of goertek inc., becoming the second-largest shareholder. although the two companies are in direct competition, this exchange of subsidiary shares enables them to collaborate in technology areas such as waveguides for xr devices.
