In the outskirts of Wuxi High-tech Zone, Jiangsu, four new agricultural greenhouses have been constructed this year, housing the nation's first agricultural robot 4S store.

Inside one greenhouse, nylon ropes hang from the ceiling as tomato vines climb upward, with fruits at various stages of ripeness beneath the leaves. "The greenhouse is meticulously managed, all thanks to them," said Qin Qi, market operations director of the Smart Agriculture Robot Research Institute, part of the Yangtze River Delta National Technology Innovation Center, introducing his "colleagues."

An intelligent inspection robot moves on a rail-based chassis, using its head-mounted camera to identify the size and color of tomatoes, count the fruit, assess ripeness, and transmit data in real-time to a cloud backend. After receiving the data, an intelligent harvesting robot takes over, positioning itself in front of ripe tomato clusters, accurately identifying and cutting the fruit. Meanwhile, an intelligent logistics robot arrives, loads the tomatoes, automatically drives to the warehouse for unloading, and then returns to continue its tasks.

Depending on the crop type, growing environment, and ground conditions, the store equips the greenhouse with corresponding robotic workers. In greenhouses with rails, rail-based robots are used; on soil surfaces, wheeled or tracked robots come into play.

What sets this apart from ordinary agricultural bases using robots? "Setting up a real scenario is to showcase agricultural robots," Qin Qi explained. Previously, farming enterprises and farmers often purchased machinery from dealers without knowing if the equipment would suit their specific crops, fields, and agronomic processes. More often, they need a complete solution, not just a single robot: how different robots coordinate, and how they integrate with the growing environment, agronomic processes, and production management. All of this needs to be validated in real-world scenarios.

Wu Hao, director of the institute, noted that leveraging the platform resources of the Yangtze River Delta National Technology Innovation Center, the team focuses on the niche segment of high-value cash crops. They have developed 10 types of agricultural robots, covering the full cycle of fruit and vegetable production from planting to harvesting, and are conducting sales and services based on this.

Why is it called a 4S store? Wu Hao explained that the store's "4S" stands for display and experience, sales and delivery, technical services, and customized solutions. The store is not just a product exhibition and experience center but also a testing ground to see if "robots can make money farming" — only if this model can generate revenue and achieve sustainable operations can it create a demonstration effect and further expand the market. "We expect to achieve profitability by 2028," Wu Hao said confidently.

Recently, Nanjing Golden Manor Agricultural Products Co., Ltd., after a visit, showed interest in a UV physical plant protection robot. "We grow strawberries and hope to use advanced agricultural machinery to save costs, increase efficiency, and improve quality," said Li Defu, the company's technical director. He added that what was more appealing was the complete solution provided by the 4S store — technicians can be stationed at the enterprise initially to help set up networks, match algorithms, and manage daily maintenance, as well as train employees on product use.

The combined R&D and sales model allows the 4S store's agricultural robots to meet more customer needs. In Wuxi, the Amway (China) Botanical R&D Center grows Hangzhou white chrysanthemums, with narrow row spacing and wide ridges, requiring organic pest control methods. Researcher Jiang Nanjun noted that within two months, the 4S store customized a cross-ridge UV plant protection robot for the chrysanthemum cultivation, with a larger span and adjustable chassis height to suit field conditions.

This agricultural robot 4S store has served nearly 10 customers, with over 10 more in negotiations. Qin Qi admitted that current customers are mainly in Jiangsu Province and its surrounding areas. For potential customers in agricultural regions like Northeast and Southwest China, distance remains a barrier for on-site visits. The store plans to use live video streaming to help more farming enterprises and farmers understand how robots work and their actual effects. In the long term, it plans to gradually expand branches to more agricultural regions through a combination of self-operated and franchise models, providing targeted products and services.