"Among the top five major companies in the global robot vacuum market, all are from China, and their combined global market share exceeded 70% for the first time in the second half of 2025. By the end of 2025, iRobot, the US company that opened the world market with 'Roomba', went bankrupt and was acquired by Chinese enterprises."
— Nikkei Chinese, "Chinese Robot Vacuums Capture 70% of the Global Market with Technology", August 5, 2026
This Nikkei report outlines a striking industrial landscape: Chinese robot vacuum companies have not only avoided the "involution" of price wars but have also formed an oligopoly in the global market by competing on independently developed features. Roborock developed the Saros Rover capable of climbing stairs; Dreame equipped its models with retractable robotic arms for automatic room tidying; Ecovacs took the lead in launching 2-in-1 vacuum and mopping robots with all-in-one base stations. The core logic is "no price wars, competing on independent technology." As the head of Dreame's Japan, South Korea, and Australia markets stated, "Users are paying for exclusive technologies that other companies do not have."
But a deeper question remains: For these Chinese robot vacuums that support 70% of the global market, which domestic companies are actually backing the crucial "chip" inside them? This article will review the chip categories and the companies in these tracks.
Note: For more domestic robot chip companies not mentioned, please contact the editor at the end of the article or add them in the comments section.
01. Chip Category Panorama: What Chips Are Used in a Robot Vacuum?
A robot vacuum typically contains 50 to 200 semiconductor chips, covering multiple categories such as the main control SoC (System on Chip), motion control MCU (Microcontroller Unit), power management, motor drive, Wi-Fi/Bluetooth communication, sensors, LiDAR, memory, and visual processing.
| Functional Module | Core Chip Type | Main Domestic Participants |
|---|---|---|
| SLAM Navigation Main Control | 32-bit MCU / High-performance SoC (integrated NPU) | Allwinner, Rockchip, AMIC, D-Robotics, HiSilicon, Artosyn, Ingenic |
| Motion Control Sub-MCU | 32-bit MCU (motor PID, sensor acquisition) | GigaDevice, Nationz, Geehy |
| Main Suction Motor Drive | BLDC motor drive control chip (MCU/ASIC + HVIC + MOSFET) | Fortior, SINONE |
| Power Management | PMIC (Power Management IC) (charge/discharge management, step-up/step-down) | SG Micro, Silergy, Silan Micro, Chipown, Bright Power, Belling |
| Wi-Fi/Bluetooth Communication | Wi-Fi MCU / AIoT SoC | Espressif, UNISOC, HiSilicon |
| LiDAR (LDS) | Ranging ASIC + SPAD sensor + DSP | Camsense, Hesai, RoboSense |
| Vision/Obstacle Avoidance | 3D structured light, ToF sensor, Image Signal Processor | Sunny Optical, O-Film, Goodix |
| Other Sensors | Geomagnetic sensor, multimodal perception module, CMOS image sensor | QST, GoerTek, Will Semiconductor |
| Memory | DRAM / NAND Flash | GigaDevice, Dosilicon, Unigroup Guoxin |
| AI Acceleration | High-end SoC with NPU / Independent AI chip | Allwinner, Rockchip,D-Robotics, HiSilicon |
From the current industrial status, the perception layer (LiDAR, sensors), control layer (main control SoC, motion MCU), execution layer (motor drive), and connection layer (Wi-Fi) of robot vacuums have achieved a high level of domestic substitution. Domestic substitution in power management is accelerating, but foreign companies still hold the majority share. Memory chips and high-end AI acceleration chips represent the next battleground where domestic and foreign companies coexist, and domestic firms are making breakthroughs.
02. Main Control Chip: The "Brain" of the Robot Vacuum
The main control chip is the most core component of a robot vacuum, responsible for path planning, SLAM algorithm computation, and overall intelligent decision-making. The current mainstream solutions have accelerated the evolution from traditional 32-bit MCUs to high-performance SoCs integrated with NPUs. In this most critical track, a group of chip companies with independent R&D capabilities has emerged in China.
Allwinner
Headquartered in Zhuhai and listed on the ChiNext board. Allwinner is one of the main suppliers in the robot vacuum main control chip field and one of the few manufacturers that have achieved large-scale mass production of robot SoCs. Its MR series high-performance SoC has become the first choice for flagship models of many brands such as Roborock, Dreame, Narwal, and Mijia.
Rockchip
Headquartered in Fuzhou and listed on the STAR Market. Rockchip is another key player in the robot vacuum chip field, and its solutions have entered Ecovacs' supply chain system. The company has launched multiple "AI robot vacuum" chip-level solutions, comprehensively covering products from entry-level to high-end.
AMIC (formerly AMIC Semiconductor)
Headquartered in Hengqin, Zhuhai, focusing on robot motion control and SLAM technology, it is a robot-specific chip company invested by Xiaomi. In August 2025, the brand was refreshed to "AMIC". Its chips support multiple solutions from inertial navigation, LiDAR navigation to visual navigation, comprehensively covering entry-level to high-end products.
D-Robotics
Headquartered in Shenzhen, it was spun off from Horizon Robotics for independent operation in September 2024, positioning itself as a "shovel seller" for the underlying infrastructure of robots. The company independently developed the BPU (Brain Processing Unit) intelligent computing architecture, specifically optimized for the robot perception-decision-control closed loop. The Xuri series intelligent computing chips are deployed across the platforms of industry-leading customers such as Ecovacs and Narwal in their hot-selling products, serving over 100,000 robot developers. As of press time, D-Robotics has completed a $270 million Series B funding round in 2026, receiving intensive investments from institutions such as Hillhouse Capital, Temasek, Meituan, and Didi.
GigaDevice
Headquartered in Beijing. GigaDevice entered the robot vacuum track with 32-bit MCUs. Its GD32F103 series low-power MCU is favored for its multiple power-saving modes and fast wake-up features, and is used as the motion control sub-MCU in various models.
Nationz
Headquartered in Shenzhen. Nationz focuses on the N32 series MCU, providing a full-stack chip solution of "MCU + security + Bluetooth" covering multiple robot modules. Its MCU products have been widely used in cleaning appliances such as robot vacuums, wet-dry vacuum cleaners, and vacuum cleaners, as well as control systems for pool cleaning robots, lawn mowing robots, exoskeleton robots, and humanoid robots, featuring high-precision motor control and multi-sensor fusion capabilities.
03. Motor Drive Chip: The Domestic Power That Makes Robots "Move"
Inside a robot vacuum, there are multiple brushless DC (BLDC) motors, including the main suction motor, left/right wheel motors, and side brush motors, each requiring a dedicated drive control chip. The motor drive chip is responsible for receiving main control commands and driving the MOSFET to generate an electromagnetic field, achieving efficient motor operation. Chinese companies perform particularly brilliantly in this track.
Fortior
Headquartered in Shenzhen. Fortior is a domestic enterprise focusing on the design of BLDC motor drive control chips. In July 2025, it became the first A-to-H semiconductor enterprise among Chinese concept stocks, known as the "first motor drive control chip stock" on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Its independently developed ME motor control processor core realizes complex drive control algorithms at the chip architecture level through the path of "algorithm hardwareization".
SINONE
Headquartered in Shenzhen. SINONE focuses on the CMS32M series 32-bit MCU, serving robot vacuum motor control through a three-dimensional architecture of "hardware integration + algorithm optimization + scenario adaptation".
Geehy
Headquartered in Zhuhai. Geehy launched the G32R501 real-time control MCU, equipped with a dual-core Cortex-M52 processor running at 250MHz. It embeds Arm Helium technology and integrates the independently developed "Zidian Math Instruction Extension Unit", featuring powerful DSP and ML capabilities. It can run AI algorithms directly on the local end, used for the main control of cleaning robots.
04. Power Management Chip: Accelerating Domestic Substitution
Power management chips (PMIC) are responsible for battery charge/discharge management, voltage and current control, overcharge and over-discharge protection, etc., directly relating to the battery life and safety of robot vacuums. In this field, foreign companies such as TI, ADI, Qualcomm, and Infineon still hold the main share, but domestic manufacturers are accelerating their breakthroughs.
| Domestic Manufacturer | Positioning | Robot Vacuum Related Products/Dynamics |
|---|---|---|
| SG Micro | Leading domestic analog chip company | SGM41570 step-up/step-down charge controller (NVDC architecture 1-4 cell Li-ion battery), applicable for robot vacuum charging and path management |
| Silergy | Power management chip expert | Multi-channel power management chip SA47301 series passed ASIL D certification; acquired controlling stake in Yuntu Semiconductor in 2026 |
| Silan Micro | IDM model analog manufacturer | Dual layout in power devices and power management |
| Chipown | Power management chip design | Power management solutions for smart homes |
| Bright Power | Power management chip | Started with LED drivers, expanding into home appliance PMIC |
| Belling | Analog/power chip | Layout in home appliance power management |
Industry insiders point out that in terms of cutting-edge product performance, process, and technology iteration, domestic analog chip companies still have a gap with foreign giants. However, in the mid-to-low-end chip segment, domestic manufacturers optimize according to market and customer needs, and their cost-performance ratio has surpassed some foreign enterprises, possessing strong competitiveness.
05. Wi-Fi/Communication Chip: Espressif is Already Global No. 1
Wi-Fi chips enable robot vacuums to achieve remote connection and control with mobile phone apps, an indispensable part of smart homes. In this segmented field, Chinese companies have achieved global leadership.
Espressif
Headquartered in Shanghai. According to the TSR first-half 2025 report, Espressif's shipment market share in the global Wi-Fi MCU market reached 35.2%, ranking first globally for many consecutive years, leading MediaTek and Qualcomm. It is the only mainland Chinese enterprise to break into the global top five in this field.
UNISOC
Headquartered in Shanghai. UNISOC is one of the few chip manufacturers that can provide indoor positioning solutions based on converged technology. Its V5663 is an AIoT solution supporting Wi-Fi 5 + Bluetooth 5 + MCU, featuring powerful computing power, safety, and reliability, applicable for scenarios such as smart homes and robot vacuums.
In addition, HiSilicon has joined the first tier of global high-end Wi-Fi SoCs, alongside Qualcomm, Broadcom, and MediaTek as manufacturers capable of independently developing Wi-Fi 7 SoCs. The "SparkLink" short-range communication technology led by Huawei is also opening a brand-new track.
06. LiDAR and Sensor Chips: Domestic Firms Hold Absolute Dominance
Sensors are the "eyes" and "touch" of robot vacuums. LiDAR (LDS) is the most core navigation and positioning device, detecting and mapping the environment by emitting laser beams. In addition, there are various sensors such as ultrasonic, infrared, wall-following, cliff detection, and 3D structured light/ToF vision. In this "perception" track, Chinese companies not only dominate but have also achieved independent R&D breakthroughs at the chip level.
Camsense
Headquartered in Shenzhen, it is a leading global supplier of robot vacuum LiDAR shipments, with clients almost encompassing all top brands: Xiaomi, Roborock, Dreame, Ecovacs, Midea, Huawei, etc. Roborock took an equity stake in 2023.
Hesai
Headquartered in Shanghai, listed on the US/Hong Kong stock markets. Hesai is a global leader in ADAS LiDAR shipments and is accelerating its entry into the robot track. In 2025, its robot LiDAR shipments achieved over 4x growth, entering the supply chains of Unitree Robotics, Honor Robotics, etc.
RoboSense
Headquartered in Shenzhen. In the first quarter of 2026, its robot business sales exceeded its automotive business for the first time. The company has achieved full-stack independent R&D and mass production of four core chips: scanning, transmitting, receiving, and processing. In April 2026, it released the "Phoenix" chip (the world's first single-chip integrated native 2160-line automotive-grade SPAD-SoC) and the "Peacock" chip (640×480 high-density SPAD array, 180°×135° ultra-wide angle, millimeter-level accuracy, specifically designed for robot close-range scenarios).
Vision and Other Sensors
| Enterprise | Product/Solution | Robot Vacuum Application |
|---|---|---|
| Sunny Optical | 3D linear structured light sensor, AI sensor, 3D array ToF | Provided miniaturized structured light + AI sensor for Roborock G10S; provided navigation + obstacle avoidance "2-in-1" ToF solution for Ecovacs sub-brand Yeedi |
| O-Film | RGB + ToF system-level products | Provided 3D perception solutions for robot vacuums, 0.5~20m dual-body fusion ranging |
| Goodix | WALLE series dToF LiDAR solution | Low/medium/high three-tier solutions, high-end WALLE120LB achieves 2-in-1 obstacle avoidance + navigation |
| QST | QMC6310 high-performance geomagnetic sensor | Sensor fusion algorithm, solving strong magnetic field detection and navigation motion algorithms |
| GoerTek | Multimodal perception module | Leading market share in the smart home sensor field |
| Will Semiconductor | CMOS image sensor | Important participant in the visual sensor market |
07. Memory and AI Acceleration Chips: The Next Battleground
The memory chips used in robot vacuums are mainly DRAM and NAND Flash, used to record operation trajectories, cleaning paths, and store control programs. In this field, international giants such as Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron still hold the dominant share, but since 2026, domestic memory is accelerating from "layout" to "implementation".
GigaDevice launched a new generation of SPI NAND Flash products for scenarios such as robot vacuums in April 2026, which has entered the sampling stage; Dosilicon's small-capacity memory chips have achieved practical applications in robot machine vision systems; Dreame Technology even stepped in personally, with its subsidiary Guangsu Xineng Technology showcasing eMMC memory chips for robot vacuums in March 2026. Founder Yu Hao explicitly stated, "The chip industry will be the next key focus for Dreame." Overall, domestic memory chips have achieved initial implementation in the robot vacuum field, but large-scale substitution of international giants still takes time.
As robot vacuums evolve towards AI object recognition, the demand for SoCs with NPUs is rising rapidly. The most striking change in 2026 is that OEMs are stepping in to make chips themselves—NXMIND, incubated by Dreame, released the "Tianqiong" series SoC in March 2026 and achieved large-scale mass production. Adopting a heterogeneous platform of multi-core CPU + dedicated NPU + independent MCU, it is currently one of the most highly integrated robot vacuum-specific chips in the industry.
Meanwhile, Rockchip's RK182X series (NPU computing power breaking through 15 TOPS) has been commercially deployed in cleaning robots; Allwinner confirmed large-scale mass production in the robot vacuum field; D-Robotics's Xuri series helped Narwal Xiaoyao 002 pioneer the AI binocular perception era; Artosyn's AR9481 supports binocular obstacle avoidance and SLAM navigation with 8 TOPS computing power and 1W power consumption. The actual application progress of HiSilicon in the robot vacuum field remains to be further observed.
Overall, domestic AI acceleration chips have formed a multi-pronged pattern of "OEM self-research + traditional SoC manufacturers + cross-border new forces", accelerating from "coexistence of domestic and foreign" to "domestic dominance".
08. Conclusion: Chinese Chips, the Invisible Backbone Supporting 70% of the Market
Returning to the question at the beginning: Chinese robot vacuums have captured 70% of the global market, how much of the "chip" inside is domestic?
Although there is no unified official statistical data, a clear picture can be seen from the industry chain review: in key links such as LiDAR, motor drive, and Wi-Fi communication, Chinese companies have not only achieved domestic substitution but also achieved global leadership—Camsense has taken over half of the global LiDAR shipments, Espressif has topped the global Wi-Fi MCU market for many consecutive years, and Fortior is a leading Chinese enterprise in the BLDC drive control market share.
It is precisely the continuous breakthroughs at the chip level by these "invisible champions" that enable Roborock to develop the stair-climbing Saros Rover, allow Dreame to equip robotic arms for automatic room tidying, and let Ecovacs take the lead in launching all-in-one base stations. The underlying logic of the "technology-driven" story of Chinese robot vacuums is the support of "Chinese chips".
- END -The content of this article is all from public information and does not constitute any investment advice. If you have any questions, please contact us. For more introductions to domestic robot chip companies, please contact the editor or add them in the comments section.