A new agricultural robot dealership, the first of its kind in China, has been established in the outskirts of Wuxi High-tech Zone, Jiangsu Province, with four new greenhouses built this year. Inside one of the greenhouses, nylon ropes hang from the ceiling as tomato vines climb upward, with fruits of varying ripeness dangling beneath the leaves. "The greenhouse is meticulously managed, all thanks to them," said Qin Qi, marketing operations director of the Smart Agriculture Robotics Research Institute at the Yangtze River Delta National Innovation Center, introducing his "colleagues."
An intelligent inspection robot moves along a track-based chassis, using its head-mounted camera to identify the size and color of tomatoes, count the number of fruits, assess ripeness, and transmit data in real-time to a cloud backend. Upon receiving the data, a smart harvesting robot takes over, approaching the ripe tomato clusters, locating, identifying, and precisely cutting the fruit. Meanwhile, a smart logistics robot arrives, loads the harvested tomatoes, and automatically drives to the warehouse for unloading before returning to continue its work. Depending on the crop type, planting environment, and ground conditions, the dealership equips the greenhouses with corresponding robotic staff. In greenhouses with tracks, track-based robots are used; in muddy soil, wheeled or tracked robots are deployed.
What sets this apart from regular agricultural robot application bases? "Building a realistic scenario is to showcase agricultural robots," Qin Qi explained. In the past, growers and farmers often purchased machinery from dealers without being able to assess whether the equipment suited their crops, fields, and agronomic processes beforehand. More often, they needed not just a single robot, but a complete solution: how different robots cooperate, how they integrate with the planting environment, agronomic processes, and production management—all of which must be validated in real-world settings. Institute Director Wu Hao noted that, leveraging the platform resources of the Yangtze River Delta National Innovation Center, the team has focused on the niche of high-value economic crops, developing 10 agricultural robots that cover the entire cycle from planting to harvesting of fruit and vegetable production, and then conducting sales and services based on this foundation.
Why is it called a 4S store? Wu Hao explained that the "4S" at the dealership stands for display and experience, sales and delivery, technical services, and customized solutions. The store is not only a product display and experience center but also a testing ground for "whether robot-based farming can be profitable"—only when this model generates revenue and achieves sustainable operations can it create a demonstration effect and further expand the market. "We expect to reach profitability by 2028," Wu Hao said with confidence.
Recently, Nanjing Golden Manor Agricultural Products Co., Ltd. visited and was impressed by an ultraviolet physical plant protection robot. "We grow strawberries and hope to use advanced machinery to save costs, increase efficiency, and improve quality," said company technical director Li Defu. What was more appealing was the complete solution provided by the 4S store—technicians can initially station at the company to help set up networks, match algorithms, and handle daily maintenance, while also training employees on product use. The combined R&D and sales operational model allows the 4S store's agricultural robots to meet more customer needs.
In Wuxi, the Amway (China) Plant Research Center grows Hangzhou white chrysanthemums, with narrow row spacing and wide ridges in the planting area, requiring organic pest control methods. Research and development staff member Jiang Nanjun explained that within less than two months, the 4S store customized a cross-ridge ultraviolet plant protection robot for the chrysanthemum planting, with a wider span and adjustable chassis height to flexibly adapt to field conditions. This agricultural robot 4S store has already served nearly 10 customers, with over 10 more in negotiations. Qin Qi admitted that current customers are mainly concentrated in Jiangsu Province and surrounding areas. For potential customers in agricultural production areas like Northeast and Southwest China, distance remains a barrier to on-site experience. The store plans to use video livestreaming to help more growers and farmers understand how robots work and their actual effects; in the long term, it aims to gradually expand branches to more agricultural regions through a combination of self-operated and franchised models, providing targeted products and services.