China's leading lidar sensor manufacturers, Hesai Group and RoboSense Technology, are investing heavily in robotics as the country solidifies its position in the global supply chain for the sector. This move is part of a broader effort to expand their product offerings and create new growth engines.

China’s two biggest makers of lidar sensors for cars, Hesai Group and RoboSense Technology, have ramped up investments in robotics products as the country consolidates its leading position in building a global supply chain for the fast-growing sector. Shanghai-based Hesai, the world’s largest producer of lidar sensors that help cars map terrain, planned to spend 200 million yuan (US$28.9 million) this year to design and manufacture “eyes and muscles” for robots, creating a new growth engine...