In March 2026, nine Chinese ministries jointly issued the Action Plan for Innovative Development of the IoT Industry (2026–2028), explicitly identifying micro-nano displacement sensors, flexible tactile sensors, and high-resolution vision sensors as key breakthrough technologies, with a target of reaching RMB 3.5 trillion in core IoT industry output by 2028. Behind this policy initiative lies surging demand from China's manufacturing sector for advanced sensing capabilities. From real-time feedback in embodied intelligence to in-line full inspection on advanced production lines, and nanometer-scale metrology in semiconductor wafer processing—industrial sensors are evolving from auxiliary components into critical process nodes. The CIOE – Intelligent Sensing Expo, to be held September 9–11, 2026, at the Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center, will present a comprehensive sensing technology landscape spanning R&D to production lines. >>> Get your free pass

Embodied Intelligence: Multi-Sensor Fusion Drives Integration

By 2026, humanoid robots, exoskeletons, and robotic dogs are advancing rapidly toward mass production. According to GGII estimates, sensors account for 33.4% of a humanoid robot's BOM cost, with dozens to hundreds per unit. If global output reaches 1 million units by 2030, the sensor market could exceed USD 300 billion.

Unlike traditional industrial robots that rely on position encoders, embodied intelligence demands multi-dimensional fusion—simultaneous sensing of joint angles, contact force, distance, and even surface texture. This pushes encoders toward higher resolution (23-bit+) and smaller sizes. For precision end effectors, nanoscale displacement sensors must fit into constrained spaces. Spectral confocal technology, with its non-contact, high-angle-tolerance advantages, has become the preferred solution.

Key players are advancing rapidly. DRX Light Tech has patented a PSD-based positioning system that overcomes slow speed and light interference. NBtech offers high-resolution PSD detectors and laser ranging modules for robot obstacle avoidance. Most notably, flexible tactile sensors—highlighted in the policy—are rapidly industrializing. Ami Prevision Control provides capacitive nano-displacement sensors for nanometer servo control, while Time Vision delivers compact optical encoder ICs for miniature joints. Hanwei Technology has systematically deployed flexible tactile, multi-axis force, MEMS inertial, and electronic nose sensors for robotic e-skin, dexterous hand control, and environmental perception. The trend is clear: embodied intelligence is driving sensors from single-point measurement to integrated perception.

Intelligent Manufacturing: In-Line Inspection Meets Complex Surfaces

With lithium battery coating speeds exceeding 120 m/min and photovoltaic glass inspection at full production rates, offline sampling no longer suffices. Sensors are now embedded as process nodes for real-time quality monitoring. Yole projects the global industrial sensor market at USD 26.75 billion in 2026, with factory automation nearing USD 18.9 billion—growth driven largely by in-line inspection.

The core challenge is surface adaptability—highly reflective metals, transparent films, and rough surfaces all test optical measurement limits. Laser triangulation achieves micron-level repeatability on matte metal surfaces, while spectral confocal technology handles transparent and coated materials unaffected by gloss or color variations.

Micro-Epsilon, a leader in laser triangulation, supplies intelligent optical displacement sensors for PCB positioning and spectral confocal systems achieving 60nm resolution in chip ball-height inspection. Across the domestic supply chain: Siman Sensor provides laser displacement sensors for precision thickness measurement; Smartmens delivers eddy-current and capacitive sensors for lithography and wafer inspection; Lemon Photonics offers VCSEL chips and laser modules for 3D contour scanning; Hetong Optics Electronic supplies robotic sensing laser modules for ranging and object recognition; and Light-Catcher provides photodetectors and avalanche photodiodes to close the receiver-side gap. From R&D simulation to production-line automation, sensors are building a new quality management framework for multi-material, multi-form manufacturing.

Semiconductor Wafer Inspection: Large-Field Nanometer Precision and Multi-Layer Metrology

Wafer inspection demands extreme performance: full-surface nanoscale defect screening across 12-inch diameter range in seconds, plus internal alignment and thickness measurement for multi-layer stacks like 3D NAND and HBM. The high-resolution vision sensors prioritized by the nine-ministry policy are the hardware backbone of wafer AOI and semiconductor yield enhancement.

The classic trade-off: large field-of-view versus nanometer precision. Fast scanning degrades SNR; higher resolution cuts throughput. Hamamatsu's wavelength technology measures full-field film thickness on 300mm wafers in 5 seconds, balancing speed and repeatability. For transparent wafers (SiC, GaN), non-contact single-side measurement avoids particle contamination—new interferometric sensors achieve nanometer accuracy from one side, easing adoption in advanced packaging.

Domestic players are rising to these challenges. Lumidar's visible-to-SWIR image sensors penetrate silicon-based materials to reveal internal defects in stacked structures. Inxun Technology delivers silicon photonic chips with precision optical frequency-domain measurement for high-SNR scanning across large fields. BRIGATES MICRIELCTRINCS offers DUV TDI line-scan cameras with 3MHz line rates and sub-micron precision for wafer appearance inspection. Beephoton provides nanosecond-response photodetectors for high-speed wafer inspection. Kodenshi uses wafer-level packaging to boost system integration and stability. Defect detection is evolving from point tools to systemic intelligence, with domestic solutions gaining ground in large-field, high-precision, and multi-layer applications. From white-light interferometry to capacitive/eddy-current and 3D surface profiling, semiconductor metrology is advancing toward speed, precision, and multi-material adaptability.

From R&D to Production: Full-Chain Sensing at CIOE - Intelligent Sensing Expo

September 9–11, CIOE - Intelligent Sensing Expo at Shenzhen World will bring together the full spectrum of industrial sensing technologies including displacement sensors, spectral confocal sensors, optical encoders, photodetectors, SWIR image sensors, laser displacement sensors, capacitive nano-displacement sensors, and chip-scale spectrometers. These cover the entire application chain: material characterization in R&D, in-line thickness/step-height/flatness monitoring in automated production, and wafer-level defect inspection plus packaging metrology.

Featured Exhibitors: BEEPHOTON, BRIGATES MICRIELCTRINCS, GUANGYIN TECHNOLOGY, HAMAMATSU, HANWEI TECHNOLOGY, HAOMO, INXUN TECHNOLOGY, KODENSHI, LIGHT-CATCHER, MICRO-EPSILON, NBTECH, ODTECH, SIMAN, STELLA, WING CHIP, and more.

*Partial exhibitor list in alphabetical order.

2026 Outlook: Policy Meets Market Demand

China's industrial sensor industry is now driven by both strong policy support and robust market demand. CIOE - Intelligent Sensing Expo provides a premier platform for technology exchange and supply-demand matching, covering everything from R&D simulation to production-line quality control. Join us September 9–11, 2026, at Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center for comprehensive access to industrial sensing across diverse applications, and seize the opportunities ahead. >>> Register Now