By Eldric Chew

Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to attend the China Clean Expo 2025 in Shanghai—a key event for anyone in the professional cleaning and facility management industries. Co-hosted with the broader Hotel & Shop Plus exhibition and part of the ISSA Expo Group, this massive event brought together innovations from hospitality, tourism, and, most excitingly, cleaning robotics.

A Massive Gathering of Innovation

The event spanned over 20 exhibition halls, but the first three halls were especially relevant to us. They showcased the latest in smart cleaning technology, robotics, and equipment accessories. Major international and local players like ICE, Nilfisk, Gaohm, and Pudu were present, alongside a wave of up-and-coming Chinese manufacturers.

Robotics: Trends and Highlights

Here’s a snapshot of the significant trends and notable robots featured at the show:

1. Rebranding for Global Expansion

Many Chinese robotics manufacturers operate under different names for overseas markets. For instance, the Chinese brand 蜗小白 (direct translation would be “Little White Snail”) brought to the market by iDriver Plus is also called Viggo as distributed to other countries. A new, small snail model under the Viggo is starting to gain international interest, also seen marketed under another brand called “ikitbot.”

2. Standardization and Reuse of Designs

Different distributors often rebrand Whitelabel robots, such as models from a Chinese company called Wimsha. The same base robot appears in various color schemes under different names, including the Rosiwit brand.

3. Humanoid Robots: The Next Frontier

Several major players, including Gaussium, Pudu, and Keenon, announced plans to introduce humanoid robots this year at the expo. Although none of these companies had an operational humanoid robot on display, they used the event as a platform to signal a new strategic direction toward humanoid automation. However, we were surprised that there were no displays or feature of the robot at the booth following the announcement

4. New Manufacturers on our radar

Several emerging players stood out at this year’s event:

• Starj AI offers both cleaning and delivery bots and eye-catching designs.
• AgiBot was so far known for its humanoid robots. Now, they showcased their first cleaning robot, the C5.
• TVX is introducing a robust, outdoor-capable sweeper rivaling Kemaro, Pudu, and Gausium.
• While many are getting bigger, BIB Robotics is working on more compact solutions.
• Ecovacs is known in Western countries for their smaller robots, but they are pushing bigger models in China.

5. Modularity & Multifunctionality on the Rise

One of the most futuristic concepts came from a vendor showcasing a modular robot system with switchable modules to handle lifting, sweeping and delivery. 

Also interesting: a vending machine that collaborates with delivery robots to bring customers their order right to the (hotel)door.

6. Looking Ahead

The show confirmed what many suspected: sweeper robots remain dominant, with more compact and efficient models steadily replacing older ones. However, humanoid robots are entering the scene — albeit cautiously. 

Feel free to contact me if you’d like to discuss any of these topics further or see additional pictures and footage from the event.