Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)
Keywords
artificial intelligence, robotics, technology convergence, autonomous decision-making, industrial ecosystem
Abstract
The convergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics is a cornerstone for the intelligent transformation of the physical world. This study conducts a systematic analysis of over 230,000 publications from the Web of Science and WIPO databases between 1982 and 2025 to dissect the evolutionary trajectory of AI and robotics integration since the 20th century. The findings identify four distinct developmental stages—independent exploration, functional coupling, primary intelligence, and intelligent symbiosis—while delineating the key technological breakthroughs and paradigm characteristics of each phase. Furthermore, seven core research thrusts are distilled, including motion planning and autonomous decision-making and perception & environmental understanding. An international comparative analysis reveals that the United States holds a leading position in innovating cutting-edge algorithms and system architectures. Europe’s approach is characterized by a focus on regulation-guided and quality-driven development, while Japan demonstrates deep expertise in precision manufacturing. China has leveraged its scale advantage to achieve partial technological breakthroughs but continues to face strategic deficiencies in core algorithms, advanced semiconductors, and high-precision actuators. Conclusively, this study puts forward policy recommendations pertaining to strategic foresight and layout, critical technology initiatives, interdisciplinary talent cultivation, and industrial ecosystem optimization, with the aim of enabling the nation to achieve leading-edge breakthroughs in the global competition for intelligent technology.
First page
1693
Last Page
1709
Language
Chinese
Publisher
Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
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Recommended Citation
ZHU, Jiannan; GUO, Jianfeng; LIU, Siyao; and CAO, Qi
(2026)
"Evolutionary trajectory of AI and robotics integration,"
Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version): Vol. 41
:
Iss.
8
, Article 13.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3724/j.issn.1000-3045.20250627006
Available at:
https://bulletinofcas.researchcommons.org/journal/vol41/iss8/13
Included in
Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Commons, Manufacturing Commons, Science and Technology Policy Commons


