On October 12, the 26th China International Industry Fair (CIIF 2026) opened at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai. At the Fudan University pavilion, a robot capable of autonomously identifying and fastening screws on household appliances attracted considerable attention from industry professionals and media representatives. The robot, M-Worker 01, is the latest real-world application of embodied intelligence jointly developed by Fudan University and Motion Brain.
Where Research Meets Industry at CIIF 2026
Under the theme "Intelligent Economy, Boundless Manufacturing," this year's CIIF spans 310,000 square meters and features ten major exhibition sectors covering industrial automation, robotics, next-generation intelligent manufacturing, integrated circuits, and other fields. Through industrial equipment, integrated solutions, and live demonstrations, the exhibition illustrates how artificial intelligence is increasingly taking shape in practical manufacturing applications.
At the University Exhibition Area, 527 representative innovations from 63 universities across China were showcased. From advanced materials and core components to robotic systems, the exhibition brought academic research into direct contact with industrial needs. As an important part of the Scientific and Technological Innovation Exhibition, the University Exhibition Area also provided a platform for engagement among research teams, enterprises, and technology transfer organizations.
For research teams, an industrial exhibition offers an opportunity to evaluate technological advances from an application-oriented perspective. What problems can a technology solve? Can it adapt to different operating conditions? How can it be integrated into existing production processes? These questions extend the conversation beyond research demonstrations toward practical industrial deployment.
The M-Worker 01 showcased by Motion Brain addresses a specific task in household appliance assembly, demonstrating the perception, planning, and error-correction capabilities of its embodied AI brain through live robotic operations.
Fudan University's New Engineering Initiative: 21 Innovations Demonstrate Cutting-Edge Capabilities
At CIIF 2026, Fudan University presented 21 major research achievements spanning advanced chips, intelligent manufacturing, robotics, and other frontier fields. Among them, the Two-Dimensional Quantum Flash Memory project received the CIIF Innovation Leadership Award, while the Desert Planting Robot won the Innovation Gold Award in the University Exhibition Area. Fudan University has also become one of the universities to receive CIIF-level awards for four consecutive editions.
From breakthroughs in fundamental research and the development of independently controlled core technologies to deployment in real-world industrial environments, Fudan University continues to advance its New Engineering initiative.
As a vehicle for commercializing research achievements from Fudan University's Deep Learning Laboratory, Motion Brain exemplifies the university's commitment to translating academic innovation into practical solutions on industrial production lines.
In advanced manufacturing, flexible assembly of household appliances represents a concrete research and application direction for embodied intelligence. Switching between product variants, compensating for misaligned screw holes, and adapting to changes in operating height are all challenges robots must address when entering real production environments.
The demonstration of M-Worker 01 establishes a direct connection between Fudan University and Motion Brain's research into general-purpose embodied AI brains and the practical demands of modern manufacturing.
M-Worker 01 in Action: Coordinating Intelligence and Manipulation for Flexible Assembly
At the Fudan University pavilion, M-Worker 01, wearing a safety helmet, stood in front of a washing machine's rear panel and carried out screw-fastening operations. Its robotic arm approached the panel, identified the target position, and completed the fastening process, turning a routine household appliance assembly task into a live demonstration of embodied intelligence.
Designed for flexible household appliance assembly, M-Worker 01 supports mixed-model production lines, performing automated screw insertion and fastening on appliance housings and panels.
Powered by an integrated spatiotemporal world model and 3D visual perception, the robot can identify misaligned screw holes and adapt its operations through long-horizon autonomous planning and closed-loop physical error correction.
During the exhibition, Yicai (China Business Network) featured Motion Brain as an example of AI moving into manufacturing execution in its report, "CIIF Observation: AI Moves from Screens to Production Lines as Industrial Foundation Models and Robot Brains Take Center Stage."
In the interview, Lin Yuquan, Brand Director of Motion Brain, explained that although screw fastening may appear simple, industrial applications impose strict requirements on materials, screw specifications, positioning accuracy, and torque control. Even manual operations can result in inconsistent force application or positioning errors.
Meanwhile, Youth Daily · Youth Shanghai, in its special coverage of university-developed robots, highlighted M-Worker 01's ability to adapt to changing operating conditions.
Using an example in which the working height changes from 60 centimeters to 80 centimeters, Lin explained how the robot can autonomously learn and adjust to a new operating position. The on-site video interview further illustrated how the robot explores, learns, and corrects errors through physical interaction.
Looking ahead, the company will continue to advance its Motion Brain generative general-purpose embodied AI brain, extending autonomous perception and action generation capabilities into a wider range of industrial processes and delivering practical, deployable intelligent s
