Cixing: Knitting Infinite Possibilities — “Advanced Weft-Knitted Fabrics for Humanoid Robot Applications”

The production of complex weft-knitted fabrics using Cixing flat knitting machines offers multiple advantages. It enables high-elastic rib structures and precise localized knitting to meet dynamic deformation requirements. At the same time, it supports one-piece three-dimensional knitting, breaking through the limitations of traditional planar textiles.

With compatibility for high thermal conductivity metallic materials, the flat knitting machine can produce fabrics that not only enhance the aesthetic appearance of humanoid robots but also reinforce localized heat dissipation. It also allows seamless integration of functional fibrous materials such as sensing yarns and flexible coolant pipelines, achieving multifunctional integration within a single structure.

Through programmable control of knitting structures, anisotropic fabrics and multi-layer complex textile structures can be mass-produced, balancing differentiated performance requirements across various localized areas. Moreover, the whole-garment knitting capability of Cixing’s flat knitting machine enables rapid customization of arbitrary shapes, patterns, structures, and sizes, providing flexible and efficient production solutions.

The outer surface of humanoid robots serves as a crucial interface for efficient human-machine interaction, placing diverse and demanding requirements on surface textiles. The fabric must exhibit excellent flexibility and deformation adaptability to ensure unrestricted joint movement. Different operational zones require localized breathability and directional heat dissipation to maintain system stability.

Certain key areas must allow localized openings for visibility, combining functional monitoring with industrial aesthetic design. The textile surface must also deliver high strength and wear resistance to withstand long-term usage. Additionally, rapid customization to match various application scenarios in terms of both appearance and functionality is highly desirable. Integrated features such as embedded lighting and multimodal sensing components are also required. Cost efficiency and scalability for mass production remain fundamental considerations.

Based on the technical characteristics of weft knitting and the diversified needs of humanoid robots, Ningbo Cixing Co., Ltd. has developed advanced weft-knitted fabrics specifically tailored for humanoid robot applications.

High-elastic rib structures and three-dimensional knitting precisely accommodate joint deformation during motion. Localized knitting and programmable structural control enable accurate zoning of breathable, heat-dissipating, and openwork regions. The ability of the flat knitting machine to incorporate high thermal conductivity metallic materials and sensing yarns simultaneously addresses thermal management and perception requirements.

One-piece seamless knitting and customization capabilities enable rapid adaptation to different robot dimensions and structural designs. Meanwhile, automated production ensures cost efficiency and scalable manufacturing. This integrated solution effectively addresses the core challenges of humanoid robot surface textiles — namely functional integration, structural adaptability, and high-efficiency mass production — establishing a precise alignment between technological innovation and application demands.

As humanoid robotics technology continues to evolve, complex weft-knitted fabrics are expected to advance toward higher levels of intelligence. In the future, by integrating diversified sensing yarns (such as pressure, temperature, and humidity sensors) into the textile structure, real-time environmental data acquisition and precise human-machine interaction can be achieved, transforming intelligent fabrics into the robot’s “perceptive skin.”

Such smart knitted textiles can monitor environmental parameters in real time while detecting subtle force distribution across the robot’s body, providing reliable data support for robust control, environmental perception, and interactive performance. These advanced knitted materials may eventually become indispensable core components of humanoid robots, driving broader applications in industrial manufacturing, service sectors, healthcare, and beyond — opening a new chapter in human-machine interaction.