A transport robot developed by a mining equipment company based in Haimen, Nantong [Photo/ntfabu.com]

At a crude factory in Haimen, a county-level city in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province, a 60-meter transport robot is expected to make China a competitor in the production of such robots.

According to its developers, the conveyor belt on top of the robot can turn along with the vehicle, solving a longstanding issue in coal transportation in mines.

"I was provoked by the arrogant attitude of a sales representative with a US company during a business trip in 2018," said Luo Huajun, head of the research team, when recalling why he decided to give up his career in Shanghai and devote himself to developing the robot.

"They believed that Chinese companies would not be able to produce such products in the short term, and I proved them wrong," Luo added.

After the business trip, Luo traveled China in search of answers until he ultimately decided to settle in Haimen with a group of young people with a common goal – to develop China's first transport robot.

Over the past year, Luo has spent nearly 10 million yuan ($1.42 million) researching and developing the robot, and his team has applied for more than 20 national patents, with four being granted.

According to Luo, the robot has a large potential market and several mining companies have already expressed interest in the machine. The first batch of robots are expected to be put into use next April.