In this wave of humanoid robot enthusiasm, what can we materials scientists do?

2026-09-04 12:10

This issue has also been the subject of repeated discussions within Betely recently.

By 2026, embodied‑intelligence robots are poised to transition from proof‑of‑concept to the tipping point of industrialization. As the most closely watched form of embodied intelligence, humanoid robots are driving entirely new material requirements at the sensing level. Industry forecasts project that by 2030, the market for materials related to electronic skin alone could exceed RMB 9 billion. Faced with this emerging, near‑ten‑billion‑yuan‑scale opportunity, how can materials companies carve out their own niche?

Betely is also actively thinking ahead and making strategic plans. The company’s conductive materials, silicone materials, and coating materials They all hold promising prospects for applications in the field of humanoid robotics, though related developments are currently in the early stages. So, must materials scientists really remain “on the sidelines”?

Looking back at Betel’s two-decade growth trajectory, each leap has followed the same underlying logic: leveraging shared technological roots while shifting to new application scenarios. From breaking import dependence with silicone‑based key coatings to achieving domestic substitution for conductive pastes in PC keyboards and touchscreens, every step has involved transferring existing technological capabilities to emerging domains. And the material requirements of humanoid robots happen to align closely with the areas we have been cultivating for many years.

Electronic Skin: The Most Direct Entry Point

Electronic skin is the core of robotic tactile perception, consisting of a flexible substrate, an active functional layer, electrodes, and a dielectric layer. This implies the need for two types of materials:

Flexible substrates: Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is one of the prevailing approaches. Betely liquid silicone rubber is inherently part of the PDMS family and boasts a well-established technological foundation in terms of flexibility, transparency, and biocompatibility.
Conductive electrodes: Sensors require stretchable conductive traces. Betely low-temperature-curing silver pastes and flexible‑circuit silver pastes offer excellent bendability, low‑temperature curing, and strong adhesion, making them ideally suited for electrode printing on flexible film substrates.

In terms of manufacturing processes, screen printing represents a key pathway for the large-scale, high‑efficiency, and low‑cost production of electronic skins. Betely has amassed extensive expertise in the application of conductive pastes to screen printing, with deployments spanning PC keyboard circuits, touchscreens, blood‑glucose test strips, and numerous other use cases.

Betely never simply sells materials; instead, it delves into customers’ manufacturing processes and co‑develops solutions. This integrated “materials + process” capability is precisely what the electronics‑skin industry needs to achieve large‑scale production.

Internal Flexible Circuitry and Packaging: Technology Transfer

The sensors and drive circuits inside robots rely on FPCs for signal transmission. Betely precision‑printed silver paste is specially formulated for flexible circuits, featuring halogen‑free composition, high solids content, ultra‑low sheet resistance, and excellent bendability—making it an ideal match for the stringent reliability requirements of in‑robot flexible interconnections.

Meanwhile, coating materials such as waterproof adhesives and UV‑curable insulating inks can provide protection for internal circuits and encapsulate electronic components.

The Logic of Opportunities for Materials Scientists

A consensus has emerged throughout the industry chain: key materials constitute the foundational underpinning that determines a robot’s performance and lifespan, and material-related challenges are holding back its industrialization.

China boasts the world’s most comprehensive flexible electronics manufacturing ecosystem. Betely is an integral part of this industrial chain—its expertise in precision printing, low-temperature curing, bend‑resistance, and adhesion control, honed through work on PC keyboards and touchscreens, is now finding new applications.

So, in this wave of humanoid robot enthusiasm, what can we do?

What Betel can do is transfer its technology capabilities—already proven in fields such as 3C electronics, healthcare, and new-energy vehicles—to the new frontier of humanoid robotics.