China's First TCM Therapeutic Robot – SY-2 Digital Meridian Treatment System – Gains Market Approval and Files IPO Prospectus

In 2023, the field of digital Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) achieved a breakthrough with the approval of the first domestically produced TCM robot (the SY-2 Research Digital TCM Meridian Therapy Robot). This also marked China’s first approved registration certificate for an “innovative medical device” in the therapeutic category within the TCM industry.

It is reported that this device was developed by Zhongke Shangyi Health Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Zhongke Shangyi”) in collaboration with experts in mechanics and physics from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, artificial intelligence specialists, renowned veteran practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and a research team led by nearly ten PhD holders, following ten years of technological R&D and clinical medical trials. The product possesses fully independent intellectual property rights, with nearly 100 intellectual property applications filed.

Grounded in the foundational theories of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and leveraging the principle of treating internal diseases through external therapies, this product integrates cutting-edge technologies—including soft robotics, 3D human visual tracking, deep learning, force sensing, and multi-physical factors. It achieves an integrated “hand-eye-brain” system that combines traditional TCM acupoint manipulation techniques with artificial intelligence.

For the industry, this is undoubtedly a significant breakthrough. After all, overseas, medical robotics is an industry that has gained recognition from capital markets and achieved a high degree of commercialization. However, due to China’s late start, coupled with constraints such as the long R&D cycles for medical robots and the near-monopoly of mid-to-high-end upstream raw materials by foreign companies, relevant technologies in China have only gradually matured in recent years.

Moreover, TCM treatment robot products are even scarcer. BecauseTo implement TCM treatment robots, it is necessary not only to break through core technological limitations but also to standardize the already extensive and profound TCM theories and experience.The Path of R&D Is Fraught with Difficulties.

Zhongke Shangyi has resolved this challenge. Last year, the company obtained approval for itsSY-2 Research-Oriented Digital TCM Meridian-Based Therapy Robot(Product registered name: Meridian Conditioning Device) Equipped with mirror processing technology, a database system, dual robotic arm control, a 3D graphical visualization system, and a user management system, it utilizes high-precision optical measurement tools to collect meridian data in real time, accurately and efficiently. The information is transmitted via high-speed data transfer to the data processing center for in-depth analysis. Subsequently, the device provides real-time display and tracking within the 3D visualization system, while simulating the posture of the robotic arm end-effector to guide the robotic arms in precisely completing the conditioning procedure.

SY-2 Research-Oriented Digital TCM Meridian Therapy Robot

In short, the SY-2 research-oriented digital TCM meridian-based treatment robot integratesTraditional Chinese Medicine Theory and Modern Artificial Intelligence Technology: Multi-Physical Factor Conditioning of the Head through the Integration of Magnetic, Vibrational, and Thermal Fields, enabling the robotic system toSimulate the techniques of professional physicians to perform deep stimulation along the meridians, holistically regulating human physiological functions to systematically address health issues. It is reported that the product has demonstrated favorable outcomes through tens of thousands of user trials during its research and development phase, as well as a clinical study involving 180 cases conducted by the Acupuncture Department of Beijing Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital.

In addition to the SY-2 Research Digital TCM Meridian-Based Treatment Robot, Zhongke Shangyi has also developedSY-3 Flagship Digital TCM Meridian Therapy Robot。

This product addresses the challenge posed by the grand, complex, and diverse nature of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory, which encompasses extensive empirically derived clinical knowledge, by integrating distinctive TCM meridian therapy with artificial intelligence. Its core control system (the “Brain”) rapidly converts treatment plans or prescriptions into digital pathways (the “Eye”), and directs a dual-arm robot equipped with a multi-physics conditioning head to simulate manual deep stimulation along meridians, thereby delivering precise therapy (the “Hand”).

SY-3 Flagship Digital TCM Meridian-Based Therapy Robot

Specifically, this product leverages a panoramic AI vision system to perform multi-view image acquisition, fusion, and reconstruction of the human body through visual bionic localization of acupoints. Within one second, full-body prescription path planning and extraction are completed, with relevant data instantly fed back to the dual-arm robot. Equipped with a multi-physics therapy head, the robot mimics human hands to deliver precise therapeutic interventions on both sides of the body. The multi-physics therapy head employs high-speed vibration technology, constant-temperature thermal fields, and magnetic therapy, acting along meridians on the body surface to activate the body’s self-healing capacity, holistically regulate physiological functions, and address various health issues.

Moreover, the product can complete a single treatment session within 30 minutes. Against the backdrop of continuously rising patient visits in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) clinics and an expanding grassroots market, this undoubtedly addresses the scarcity of TCM physician resources.

Currently, this product has been selected for the Key Special Project on Technological Innovation and Transformation of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Beijing, undertaken the “Artificial Intelligence Medical Device Innovation Task” initiated by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), been included as a typical application product of AI medical devices in the MIIT’s White Paper on the Artificial Intelligence Medical Device Industry, and recognized as a case study of construction achievements in the digital health sector of Traditional Chinese Medicine at the 3rd Global Digital Economy Conference.

The digitalization of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) equipment not only meets the growing market demand for TCM treatments but also helps improve the efficiency of TCM diagnosis and treatment, reduce medical risks, and enhance the level of TCM research.

In response, Zhongke Shangyi has established a comprehensive product pipeline to meet the needs arising during the development of the traditional Chinese medicine industry.

SY-2 Research-Oriented Digital TCM Meridian-Based Therapy Robotis a research-oriented robot capable of integrating and digitizing prescriptions from multiple experts, renowned physicians, national masters of traditional Chinese medicine, and nationally recognized senior TCM practitioners, as well as specialized disease-specific prescriptions, for digital therapeutic applications. It not only enablesDigitalized Treatment with Specialized Prescriptions, Digital Inheritance of Therapies from Renowned Veteran TCM Practitioners, Construction of Intelligent TCM Preventive Care Departments, and Development of Digitally-Enabled Specialized TCM Departments, and participate inTraditional Chinese Medicine Medical ConsortiumThe development also helps address the lack of standardization in the traditional “master-apprentice” model of passing down TCM techniques, paving a new path for the inheritance and development of the TCM industry.

The SY-3 Flagship Digital TCM Meridian Therapy Robot is applied in clinical practice.This product can deliver automated, precision treatment based on either built-in expert protocols or personalized prescriptions issued by on-site physicians, thereby achieving targeted therapy for specific diseases. It can also serve as a wellness and physiotherapy device to provide whole-body conditioning and treatment for individuals in a sub-health state, improving overall health by unblocking meridians and preventing disease.

After consolidating core technologies and refining its product pipeline, Zhongke Shangyi established intelligent TCM health and wellness services—Shangyi Zhiyang Tang: Laying the Foundation for Product Implementation。

Shangyi Zhiyangtang is dedicated to building an intelligent digital TCM health management center and providing multi-scenario, customized holistic solutions. Leveraging the Digital TCM Meridian Therapy Robot alongside supporting health management services—including digital detection, assessment, and health intervention—it delivers standardized solutions spanning from equipment to operations.

Furthermore, Zhongke Shangyi has established a comprehensive digital TCM ecosystem service scenario that integrates the development of a one-stop digital TCM diagnosis and treatment system, the construction of a digital TCM ecological cluster, the standardization of “Shangyi Zhiyang Tang” wellness scenarios, and the ecosystem development of digital TCM chronic disease management bases. This approach enables intelligent management and full-process closed-loop services for disease diagnosis, monitoring, and conditioning, thereby accelerating product commercialization.

Today, Zhongke Shangyi has not only co-established with enterprises"Enterprise Intelligent TCM Health Center"The company headquarters also operates the Shangyi Zhiyangtang Application Demonstration Center, and its series of products are expected to cover seven major application scenarios in the future: enterprises, communities, health and wellness institutions, hospitals, nursing homes, sports training centers, and households.

Seven Major Application Scenarios of the Product

In recent years, the level of digitalization in Traditional Chinese Medicine has been continuously increasing.

On one hand, the market size of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) medical services continues to expand. According to data from the Statistical Yearbook, the total number of TCM consultations exceeded 1.2 billion in 2022, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.2% from 2022 to 2026. Based on the average number of outpatient visits and medication costs per TCM consultation (totaling approximately RMB 440), the market size of TCM medical services is projected to reach RMB 712.6 billion by 2026.

On the other hand, since 2021, the state has successively issued a number of policies to promote the development of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), including the “Notice of the General Office of the State Council on Printing and Distributing the 14th Five-Year Plan for the Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine” and the “Notice on Printing and Distributing the 14th Five-Year Action Plan for the Project to Enhance TCM Service Capacity at the Primary Care Level.”

2023,“Notice of the General Office of the State Council on Issuing the Implementation Plan for Major Projects to Promote the Revitalization and Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine”In particular, under the initiative “Research on Key Technical Equipment for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM),” it explicitly calls for actively advancing research on TCM-specific diagnostic and therapeutic equipment, with the goal of developing digital auxiliary diagnostic devices, intelligent equipment for characteristic TCM therapies, and modernized equipment for preventive TCM care (“treating potential disease”). This aims to accelerate the development of China’s TCM medical service system and enhance the capacity of TCM healthcare services in China.

As various software and hardware tools centered on big data, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things begin to permeate every aspect of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the industrial ecosystem is continuously evolving toward collaboration, automation, digitization, and intelligence. For TCM manual therapies, a critical pathway involves implementing these treatment modalities through intelligent devices or robotics.

Despite numerous challenges, Zhongke Shangyi has overcome core technical hurdles and launched the first domestically produced TCM robot, capitalizing on the sector’s “low penetration rate coupled with vast market potential.” This breakthrough holds significant importance for both the preservation of traditional Chinese medicine techniques and the advancement of the industry.

References:

"2023 Research Report on the Digitalization of Traditional Chinese Medicine Industry," VCBeat