Open Factory Robotics InitiativeHosted by Lianbang
Open Factory Robotics Initiative (OFRI)

Real Manufacturing Tasks
For Robots That Actually Work.

OFRI opens working factory floors to robotics researchers and embodied-AI teams. Cable and wire-harness assembly is the first site, hosted by Lianbang: real parts, real fixtures, real pass-fail criteria, and the people who know how the job is done.

Explore factory tasks Explore collaboration
Connector mating cycleFactory bench · Data center rack
AlignInsertSeatVerifyRelease
37+Real manufacturing tasks, documented with previews
30+Years of precision manufacturing experience behind the tasks
2,000+People on the production floor at Site 01
What "open" means here

Open to the robotics community. Not open data by default.

Open by default
  • The task catalog, process definitions and skill tags
  • Short previews of every documented task
  • How collaboration works and how proposals are reviewed
  • Findings and reports from joint projects, co-authored with the teams who did the work
Open by agreement
  • Full footage, multi-view captures and structured task data
  • SOPs, CAD and 3D models, customer-related parts
  • Floor access, demonstrations and on-site capture
  • Pilot cells and joint development on a live line
Why we're doing this

The world runs on cables. Much of their assembly still runs on human hands.

The work looks repetitive. It needs skilled hands: limp wires, tiny terminals, feel and judgment at every step. Research teams have the models and the robots. Host factories have the floor, the parts and the people who know the job. This initiative connects the two.

The factory brings the tasks.
You bring the robotics.
Let's build what's next.

Read the story (3 min)

Featured robotics challenges

Four tasks to start with

Picked from the Site 01 catalog for how directly they map to open problems in manipulation. Hover or tap a thumbnail to watch the real operator.

First electrical test (continuity)Preview
CBL-TEST-001Semi-automated

First electrical test (continuity)

Operator plugs harness connectors into the tester fixture adapters, runs the continuity/electrical test, and unplugs the unit after pass indication

  • Precision insertion
  • Testing / device operation
  • Machine tending (load / unload)
Mate, trigger, read, unmate

Connector mating under test

Every connector of the harness is mated into the test fixture, the continuity test runs, then everything is unmated. The same motion a technician makes at a server rack: align, insert, confirm seating, release.

See CBL-TEST-001 in the catalog
Who is involved

Hosted by a factory. Built with the community.

Lianbang initiated the project and runs Site 01. Research teams and companies join per project. Findings are published together.

Host siteLianbang Electronics

Cable and wire-harness assembly, 37 tasks live. Stamping, injection molding, CNC and SMT planned.

About the host site · LinkedIn
Working together todayOrigami Robotics · Dimensional · General Intelligence Labs · LineWise

Hardware testing, an automation pilot and data partnerships on the Site 01 floor. More teams in stealth.

See collaborations
Initiative leadYinan Tong

Global Business & Strategy Director at Lianbang, AI hardware and robotics angel investor. Reads every proposal.

LinkedIn
Host Site 01 · Lianbang Electronics

A Group of Factories That Wants to See What Robots Can Do Next

Lianbang initiated OFRI and runs its first site: the floor, the parts, the engineers and the lab. Other factories are invited to host the next ones.

The next generation of robotics will be shaped by the real challenges of manufacturing: real tasks, real parts, and real standards of quality.

Our vision is to help robots move beyond the lab and into factories like these, making useful, reliable automation possible across thousands of manufacturing floors.

Founded in 1995, Lianbang Electronics makes wire harnesses, precision connectors and electronic assemblies from design to production, from custom harnesses to high-speed copper interconnects for data centers, with more than 2,000 people on its production floors. The group's own lines cover bare wire and copper drawing, cable forming, stamping, injection molding and tooling, CNC and EDM, 3D printing, SMT and final assembly.

  • Footprint2,000+ people · 6 manufacturing factories · 2 high-speed technology R&D centers · 30,000 m² industrial park
  • IP and recognition50+ core and invention patents · National High-Tech Enterprise
  • LinesWire drawing 6 · cable forming 25 · stamping 58 · injection molding 18 · CNC and EDM 10 · 3D printing 10 · SMT 12 · assembly 65
  • CustomersAmphenol · Meta · Google · Dyson · NVIDIA · Dell · Honeywell
Lianbang on LinkedIn Contact the host site

Lab and test capability is listed with the Golden Standard's lab results layer. See the lab

Lianbang headquarters building
Headquarters
Aerial view of the factory campus
Factory campus
Cable assembly line, Group A1
Cable assembly line
Operators at harness assembly benches
Harness assembly
Row of HB-800 press stations
Press stations
Molding machine area
Molding machine area
Cable assembly hall
Cable assembly hall
Assembly line
Assembly
Wire drawing lines
Wire drawing
Stamping presses
Stamping
Injection molding machines
Injection molding
CNC machining centers
CNC and EDM
3D printing equipment
3D printing
SMT line
SMT
NextBrowse the 37 tasksEight stages, previews of every taskNextSee the Golden StandardWhat a site can provide per taskNextPropose a collaborationWho we work with and how
Factory tasks

The task catalog

Real manufacturing processes, captured on a live floor and tagged with the manipulation skills they need. Site 01: Lianbang cable and wire-harness assembly.

Complete process catalog

37 processes today, across 8 stages, and growing

Every operation on a cable and wire-harness line, captured on the Site 01 floor and tagged with the skills it needs. Hover, tap, or press Enter on a thumbnail for a short silent preview. Click a skill to light up the processes that need it.

Site 01 · live Lianbang cable and wire-harness assembly, 37 processes

This is a growing catalog of real factory tasks, and cable manufacturing is where it starts. The host, Lianbang, is an industrial group whose other lines run precision stamping, injection molding and tooling, CNC and EDM machining, 3D printing, SMT and electronics assembly, for customers including Bambu Lab, Dell, NVIDIA and Dyson. Tasks from those lines are planned next, both design data such as CAD and PCB files and the assembly processes themselves, as they are documented and cleared for sharing. Other factories are welcome to host a site.

Planned sites Precision stampingInjection moldingCNC and EDM machining3D printingSMT and electronics assembly Suggest a factory task

Production stages

6 Wire preparation4 Termination9 Assembly2 Soldering7 Finishing1 Testing5 Inspection3 Packaging
26 manual11 semi-automated (machine tending)

Skill categories (18) · processes using each

Click a skill to highlight its processes below. Click again to clear.

Highlighting processes that need
01

Wire preparation

Cutting, stripping, dressing and marking cable ends before termination.

6 processes
Jacket stripping (machine)Preview
CBL-PREP-001Semi-automated

Jacket stripping (machine)

Operator feeds the cable end into a pneumatic stripping machine to a set depth; the machine cuts and pulls off the outer jacket

  • Machine tending (load / unload)
  • Precision insertion
  • Deformable object handling (cable)
Ask about this task
Core wire stripping of flat cablePreview
CBL-PREP-002Semi-automated

Core wire stripping of flat cable

Operator feeds the flat ribbon cable end into a stripping machine that removes insulation from the core conductors

  • Machine tending (load / unload)
  • Precision insertion
  • Deformable object handling (cable)
Ask about this task
Manual foil shield removalPreview
CBL-PREP-003Manual

Manual foil shield removal

Operator peels the aluminum foil shield off fine shielded wires by fingertip and discards foil scrap into a tray

  • Adhesive label / film application
  • Deformable object handling (cable)
Ask about this task
Wire-end preparation (shield & core dressing)Preview
CBL-PREP-004Manual

Wire-end preparation (shield & core dressing)

Operator removes shield wrap from the cable end, separates and arranges the core conductors, and discards scrap into trays

  • Deformable object handling (cable)
  • Cutting / trimming
  • Bimanual coordination
Ask about this task
Gauge-referenced trimming of flat cablePreview
CBL-PREP-005Manual

Gauge-referenced trimming of flat cable

Operator seats the flat cable end in a clamping fixture against a length gauge and trims it to exact length with a hand tool

  • Cutting / trimming
  • Measurement / gauging
  • Deformable object handling (cable)
Ask about this task
Laser marking of wires (machine tending)Preview
CBL-PREP-006Semi-automated

Laser marking of wires (machine tending)

Operator aligns a batch of fine wires on the fixture bar of a laser marking machine, runs the marking cycle, and unloads the marked batch

  • Machine tending (load / unload)
  • Pick and place
  • Deformable object handling (cable)
  • Testing / device operation
Ask about this task
02

Termination

Pressing terminals, contacts and conductors with reel-fed and single-station presses.

4 processes
Terminal crimping (reel-fed press)Preview
CBL-CRMP-001Semi-automated

Terminal crimping (reel-fed press)

Operator positions the stripped wire end into the crimp applicator of a reel-fed crimping press and actuates the press to crimp the terminal

  • Machine tending (load / unload)
  • Precision insertion
  • Deformable object handling (cable)
Ask about this task
Spring-contact pressingPreview
CBL-CRMP-002Semi-automated

Spring-contact pressing

Operator places the cable-connector assembly into a pneumatic press fixture that stamps/seats the spring contacts, then removes the unit

  • Machine tending (load / unload)
  • Pick and place
  • Precision insertion
Ask about this task
Terminal seating into housing (press-assisted)Preview
CBL-CRMP-003Semi-automated

Terminal seating into housing (press-assisted)

Operator holds the connector under a small pneumatic press that pushes terminals fully home into the housing, then verifies seating

  • Machine tending (load / unload)
  • Precision insertion
  • Press / snap-fit
Ask about this task
Conductor riveting / compaction pressPreview
CBL-CRMP-004Semi-automated

Conductor riveting / compaction press

Operator pairs the stripped conductor ends of flat 2-core cables, inserts them into the press die, and actuates the machine to rivet/compact them

  • Machine tending (load / unload)
  • Precision insertion
  • Deformable object handling (cable)
  • Bimanual coordination
Ask about this task
03

Assembly

Routing, threading and seating wires into housings, sleeves and fixtures.

9 processes
Wire arrangement into comb fixturePreview
CBL-ASSY-001Manual

Wire arrangement into comb fixture

Operator arranges individual fine conductors into the slots of a metal comb/alignment fixture, by fingertip and with tweezers, preparing them for the next termination step

  • Pick and place
  • Precision insertion
  • Deformable object handling (cable)
  • Bimanual coordination
Ask about this task
Terminal-to-housing insertion (HSG)Preview
CBL-ASSY-002Manual

Terminal-to-housing insertion (HSG)

Operator inserts crimped-terminal wires one by one into the correct cavities of a connector housing until they latch, or threads a housing/boot onto the prepared cable end

  • Precision insertion
  • Press / snap-fit
  • Deformable object handling (cable)
  • Pick and place
  • Bimanual coordination
Ask about this task
Threading wire marker tubesPreview
CBL-ASSY-003Manual

Threading wire marker tubes

Operator picks tiny printed marker tubes from trays and threads them onto the matching individual conductors of a multi-core cable

  • Threading / lacing
  • Pick and place
  • Deformable object handling (cable)
Ask about this task
Pull-ring attachment to connectorsPreview
CBL-ASSY-004Manual

Pull-ring attachment to connectors

Operator attaches small pull-ring parts onto miniature connectors along a slim cable, seating each ring with fingertips and a hand tool

  • Pick and place
  • Press / snap-fit
  • Threading / lacing
  • Bimanual coordination
Ask about this task
Threading wires through braided sleevePreview
CBL-ASSY-005Manual

Threading wires through braided sleeve

Operator uses a needle/leader tool to pull thin wires through the bore of a braided sleeve along its full length

  • Threading / lacing
  • Deformable object handling (cable)
  • Bimanual coordination
Ask about this task
Threading small components onto cablePreview
CBL-ASSY-006Manual

Threading small components onto cable

Operator picks small molded components (boots/ferrites/grommets) from trays and slides them onto the cable end in sequence

  • Threading / lacing
  • Pick and place
  • Deformable object handling (cable)
Ask about this task
Connector assembly (housing & strain relief)Preview
CBL-ASSY-007Manual

Connector assembly (housing & strain relief)

Operator fits molded connector housing and strain-relief parts onto the terminated cable end and seats them together by hand

  • Pick and place
  • Press / snap-fit
  • Bimanual coordination
  • Deformable object handling (cable)
Ask about this task
Protective sleeve installation (machine-assisted)Preview
CBL-ASSY-008Semi-automated

Protective sleeve installation (machine-assisted)

Operator picks soft protective sleeves from a bin and installs them over connector ends at a powered sleeve-fitting station

  • Pick and place
  • Machine tending (load / unload)
  • Deformable object handling (cable)
  • Precision insertion
Ask about this task
Snap-on shell / clip installationPreview
CBL-ASSY-009Manual

Snap-on shell / clip installation

Gloved operator clips plastic shell/clamp parts onto the harness at specified positions until each snaps closed

  • Press / snap-fit
  • Pick and place
  • Deformable object handling (cable)
Ask about this task
04

Soldering

Hot-bar joining of flat cable and solder-pot tinning of wire ends.

2 processes
Hot-bar soldering of flat cablePreview
CBL-SOLD-001Semi-automated

Hot-bar soldering of flat cable

Operator aligns flat ribbon cable conductors in a hot-bar soldering machine and solders them to the terminal row, monitoring a magnified live view on screen

  • Welding / soldering (manual)
  • Precision insertion
  • Bimanual coordination
  • Machine tending (load / unload)
Ask about this task
Wire-end tinning (solder pot dipping)Preview
CBL-SOLD-002Manual

Wire-end tinning (solder pot dipping)

Operator dips a fanned batch of stripped wire ends into a molten solder pot for a controlled time and depth, then withdraws and sets them aside

  • Welding / soldering (manual)
  • Deformable object handling (cable)
  • Pick and place
Ask about this task
05

Finishing

Taping, sleeving, dispensing, forming and labeling the built harness.

7 processes
Tape wrapping at harness breakout (P1)Preview
CBL-FNSH-001Manual

Tape wrapping at harness breakout (P1)

Operator wraps adhesive cloth tape around the P1 breakout point of a harness, rotating the cable bundle while maintaining tape tension and overlap

  • Deformable object handling (cable)
  • Adhesive label / film application
  • Bimanual coordination
Ask about this task
Trimming filler yarn at cable endPreview
CBL-FNSH-002Manual

Trimming filler yarn at cable end

Operator separates and trims the filler/strength yarn at a prepared cable end flush with the jacket using a hand cutter

  • Cutting / trimming
  • Deformable object handling (cable)
  • Bimanual coordination
Ask about this task
Braided sleeve dressing at cable endPreview
CBL-FNSH-003Manual

Braided sleeve dressing at cable end

Operator works the braided mesh sleeve back over the cable end by hand, dressing it evenly before subsequent termination

  • Deformable object handling (cable)
  • Threading / lacing
  • Bimanual coordination
Ask about this task
Spot taping of wires and bundlesPreview
CBL-FNSH-004Manual

Spot taping of wires and bundles

Operator wraps short pieces of adhesive tape around wires, connector tails, or harness bundles at specified positions, in some variants measuring positions against a bench-mounted rule

  • Adhesive label / film application
  • Deformable object handling (cable)
  • Bimanual coordination
  • Measurement / gauging
Ask about this task
Glue dispensing on terminal junctionsPreview
CBL-DISP-001Manual

Glue dispensing on terminal junctions

Operator applies adhesive from a squeeze bottle onto each wire-terminal junction at the connector rear for strain relief/insulation

  • Dispensing (glue / solder)
  • Deformable object handling (cable)
Ask about this task
Harness forming / bending to shapePreview
CBL-FNSH-005Manual

Harness forming / bending to shape

Gloved operator bends the finished harness bundle into its specified routing shape and verifies bend positions against a steel rule

  • Deformable object handling (cable)
  • Bimanual coordination
  • Measurement / gauging
Ask about this task
Label application on cablesPreview
CBL-FNSH-006Manual

Label application on cables

Operator peels labels from the release liner and applies them to the cable: large wrap-around labels, small wrap labels on braid, or micro flag labels on fine wires

  • Adhesive label / film application
  • Deformable object handling (cable)
  • Bimanual coordination
Ask about this task
06

Testing

Connecting the harness to the test fixture and running the first electrical check.

1 process
First electrical test (continuity)Preview
CBL-TEST-001Semi-automated

First electrical test (continuity)

Operator plugs harness connectors into the tester fixture adapters, runs the continuity/electrical test, and unplugs the unit after pass indication

  • Precision insertion
  • Testing / device operation
  • Machine tending (load / unload)
Ask about this task
07

Inspection

Visual, magnified and dimensional checks before release.

5 processes
CCD magnified visual inspectionPreview pending
CBL-INSP-001Manual

CCD magnified visual inspection

Operator positions the connector or termination end under a bench CCD camera and inspects the magnified image for defects, reorienting the part as needed

  • Visual inspection
  • Reorientation / flipping
  • Pick and place
Ask about this task
Final full inspection & cleaningPreview
CBL-INSP-002Manual

Final full inspection & cleaning

Operator visually inspects the finished cable over its full length and connectors, wiping surfaces with alcohol cloth and cleaning swab before release

  • Visual inspection
  • Cleaning / wiping
  • Reorientation / flipping
  • Deformable object handling (cable)
Ask about this task
Dimensional inspection of harnessPreview
CBL-INSP-003Manual

Dimensional inspection of harness

Operator lays the finished harness along a steel rule on the bench and verifies overall and branch lengths against specification

  • Measurement / gauging
  • Deformable object handling (cable)
  • Visual inspection
Ask about this task
Crimped terminal quality inspectionPreview
CBL-INSP-004Manual

Crimped terminal quality inspection

Operator inspects crimped terminals for crimp quality and seating, under a bench CCD camera with monitor or with a handheld lighted magnifier

  • Visual inspection
  • Reorientation / flipping
  • Pick and place
Ask about this task
Fine wire/tube assembly check & dressingPreview
CBL-INSP-005Manual

Fine wire/tube assembly check & dressing

Operator visually checks a molded assembly with multiple fine transparent wires/tubes, untangling and dressing them into order

  • Visual inspection
  • Deformable object handling (cable)
  • Bimanual coordination
Ask about this task
08

Packaging

Protecting, boxing and barcode-tracing finished assemblies.

3 processes
Bubble-wrapping connector headsPreview
CBL-PACK-001Manual

Bubble-wrapping connector heads

Operator wraps each connector head of the finished harness in bubble film for protection before boxing

  • Folding / deformable sheet
  • Deformable object handling (cable)
  • Pick and place
Ask about this task
Bulk carton packing of coiled assembliesPreview
CBL-PACK-002Manual

Bulk carton packing of coiled assemblies

Operator places batches of coiled, tied cable assemblies into a shipping carton, arranging them to fill the box evenly

  • Pick and place
  • Material transfer / kitting
Ask about this task
Barcode scanning & labeling (traceability)Preview
CBL-PACK-003Semi-automated

Barcode scanning & labeling (traceability)

Operator scans unit barcodes into the station computer, attaches traceability labels to the harness, and preps connector heads with bubble wrap

  • Testing / device operation
  • Adhesive label / film application
  • Deformable object handling (cable)
  • Pick and place
Ask about this task
From factory bench to data center rack

Mate. Verify. Inspect.

Site 01 builds high-speed copper cables that end up in data centers. Mating their connectors, verifying the link and inspecting the result is daily work on that floor. A rack technician and the test operator make the same motions.

Tap to play CBL-TEST-001 · Mate every connector into the fixture, run continuity, unmate
Data center rackMate · Verify · Inspect
MateVerifyInspectAbout 5,000 copper links in one NVL72-class AI rack source

What the bench and the rack share

  • Recognize the connector and its orientation
  • Align to a cavity you cannot fully see
  • Insert with the right force, stop at the click
  • Handle the flexible cable behind the part
  • Stay stable while the link is verified
  • Know when the connection is good, and when to retry
NextWhat comes with a taskSOP, line plan, CAD, capture, lab resultsNextWhy these tasks matterFive short chaptersNextPick a task and write to usA short email is enough
Golden Standard

The Golden Standard

Six layers a host site can provide for a task, from the written standard to the lab result. Shown with the Lianbang cable site; scope is agreed per project.

Golden Standard

One task. One complete reference package.

A video shows how a person does the job. To train and verify a robot you also need what should happen, what the parts are, and whether the result passed. A host site can chain all six layers for a task; shown here with the Lianbang cable site. The scope and level of detail depend on the requirements of each project. Pick a layer.

Layer 01

Standard operating procedure

What you get
    SOP says what should happen. CAD says what the parts are. Data shows how people do it. Lab results say whether it worked.Scoped per project with the host site, under a data agreement.
    What a host site brings

    Things a lab cannot easily get on its own

    Shown for Site 01. Items marked "today" exist now. The rest are arranged per project and need the site's approval.

    01 today

    Real factory environments

    Working lines in China and Vietnam for data collection, validation and, where it earns its place, deployment.

    02 today

    Materials and components

    The actual cables, harnesses, connectors, terminals and sleeving in these videos, as samples for qualified projects.

    03 today

    Manufacturing expertise

    Thirty years of process know-how, fixtures and tooling, and engineers who can explain why a step is done the way it is.

    04 per project

    Human demonstrations

    Experienced operators performing the real tasks, captured to your spec under agreed conditions.

    05 per project

    Testing and quality feedback

    In-line and lab test equipment. Measurement data and pass-fail feedback where available and approved.

    06 per project

    Real deployment opportunities

    For robotics that shows practical promise: a pilot cell on a live line, joint development, a path to industrial deployment.

    Layer 06 · evidence

    The lab behind the results layer

    Site 01 keeps an in-house lab that decides pass or fail. Pick a category to see the tests.

    Lab and test capability

    In-house lab behind the Golden Standard's lab results layer. Pick a category.

      NextPick a task to scope37 tasks across 8 stagesNextDiscuss a capture setupPartner-defined multimodal capture
      Collaborate

      Open challenges. Real collaboration.

      Who the initiative wants to work with, how collaboration works, who is already on the floor, and where to send a proposal or a suggestion.

      Who we want to work with

      Different paths, one shared vision: accelerating the arrival of industrial robot AGI.

      Frontier labs and universities, and teams working on the technical directions below. Pick yours to see where you plug in.

      Working with the initiative today

      Collaborations already on the floor

      Bringing human dexterity to robots.

      Scenario testingEngineering feedback
      What we did together

      Operators on our harness line wore Origami's exoskeleton data-capture gloves through real production tasks, with tripod cameras recording each station. Lianbang engineers returned structured feedback on fit, durability, interference with the work, and what the captured data needs to be useful on a production task.

      Operator wearing data-capture gloves at the bench
      Gloves on a live bench
      A line of operators wearing gloves while building harnesses
      Multi-station capture

      The open-source framework for agentic robotics. "Program atoms, not bits."

      Automation pilot
      What we are doing together

      A feasibility study on robotizing one repetitive test step on the Site 01 line, using the existing fixtures and tester and starting from a single cable type. Success is measured in production terms: labor saved, cycle time and repeatability. Currently selecting the test scenario and the sample materials.

      Illustration of the current manual continuity test
      Current process (illustration)
      Concept sketch of a two-arm test cell
      Two-arm cell concept (not yet built)

      The perception-action stack of embodied intelligence: data, models and tooling for the next billion robots.

      Data partnershipEquipment validation

      Lianbang provides production tasks and operator demonstrations, plus engineering advice on the data-capture equipment.

      Industrial data layer for robotics training. Real factory workflows captured and structured at scale, combining first-person industrial video with SOP-level process knowledge.

      Data partnership

      Lianbang contributes line access and process context.

      Under NDA

      More teams in stealth mode are running data collection and hardware tests with us. Names and scope are shared under NDA.

      Yinan TongYT
      Initiative lead

      Yinan Tong

      Runs the initiative. Global Business & Strategy Director at Lianbang · AI hardware and robotics angel investor. Reads every proposal.

      LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/yinan-tong

      Collaboration

      How collaboration works

      • Open task data

        The catalog and its previews are public. Full clips, multi-view captures and task definitions under a data agreement with the host site.

      • Materials, samples and test access

        Real cables, connectors and fixtures, plus test resources to check results against production criteria.

      • Joint experiments on the floor

        Technical validation in a real production environment, scoped together, the site's engineers alongside.

      • Co-authored technical reports and demos

        Findings written up together: technical reports, benchmark results and datasets, plus live demos at conferences and on the floor, credited to everyone who did the work.

      • Joint development and commercialization

        Robotic automation for cable manufacturing, from pilot cell to deployment across the industry.

      How we review proposals

      Every proposal is read. Priority goes to:

      • Technical capability and track record
      • Research value of the task
      • Fit with real production conditions
      • Ability to execute on site
      • Value and resources on both sides
      Propose a collaboration A short email is enough: who you are, which task interests you, what you'd want from the site. We're attending CoRL 2026; say hello there.
      Share feedback

      What would make this initiative useful to you?

      Tell us what's missing. Is there a cable task you'd like to see, data you need for an experiment, or a question you'd like to discuss with the production engineers or designers?

      Your message and email go only to the feedback inbox; they are never used for analytics. If sending fails, your text stays here so you can retry or email it instead.

      Why we're doing this

      The World Runs on Cables. Much of Their Assembly Still Runs on Human Hands.

      Why a thirty-year-old cable factory opened its floor to the robotics community, and why this initiative exists. Five short chapters.

      01 A Labor-Intensive Industry02 Repetitive Doesn't Mean Easy03 Test Bench to Data Center04 Why Cable Skills Could Transfer05 We Believe
      01

      A Labor-Intensive Industry

      Part of cable manufacturing automates well. The high-value, custom part, the kind that ends up in data centers, still runs on hands.

      8.75 million1production employees in U.S. manufacturing
      61%2of EU workers report repetitive hand or arm movements for at least a quarter of their working time
      2,000+3frontline people at Lianbang, the first site, making cables and components by hand, and still growing
      up to 70%3,4of process steps in high-value custom cables remain manual
      8 h × 33eight-hour shifts, three shifts a day, around the clock
      References
      1. 1 "In September 2026, production employees accounted for about 69% of U.S. manufacturing payroll employment." U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Tables B-1 and B-6
      2. 2 "In 2024, 61% of EU workers reported making repetitive hand or arm movements for at least a quarter of their working time." Eurofound · European Working Conditions Survey 2024
      3. 3 Lianbang, 2026. The percentage is a Lianbang estimate, counted by share of process steps, for high-value custom cables such as data center interconnects. Headcount and shift pattern: Lianbang, 2026.
      4. 4 Automotive wire-harness manufacturing is described as reaching up to 90% manual work in Nguyen, Kuhn & Franke, Procedia CIRP 97 (2021), and about 85% of harness manufacturing operations done by hand in a 2020 Siemens industry blog. Both describe automotive harness production, not cable manufacturing as a whole.
      Cable assembly hall with long rows of stations
      Lianbang assembly hall
      02

      Repetitive Doesn't Mean Easy

      A cable never takes the same shape twice. Terminals are a few millimeters across. A good fit is judged by feel and by eye.

      Tap to play CBL-ASSY-003 · Threading wire marker tubes: the right tube, the right wire, in order

      Each of these needs precise positioning, a tactile confirmation and a quality judgment at the end. Watch one a hundred times and the difficulty shows: nothing about the object holds its shape between grasps, and every variant of a harness changes the sequence.

      We want to find out which of these tasks a robot can take over, one at a time, so that production becomes steadier and people's hands are freed for the work that still needs them.

      03

      From Our Test Bench to the Data Center

      Site 01 builds high-speed copper interconnects, including 800G-class cables, for data centers. These are high-value products, and the data center is where cable handling meets robotics first.

      Connector mating cycleShared by bench and rack
      AlignInsertSeatVerifyRelease
      ~5,000NVLink copper cables inside one NVIDIA GB200 NVL72 rack, about 2 miles in total
      ~20 kWsaved per NVL72 rack by using copper instead of optical links, per NVIDIA
      25% / 45%projected annual growth of passive copper (DAC) and active electrical cable (AEC) markets

      Rack figures: NVIDIA GTC 2024 keynote, as reported by SiliconANGLE and TechRadar; they apply to the GB200 NVL72 configuration, not to racks in general. Market growth: LightCounting compound annual growth estimates for DAC and AEC, as cited by NADDOD; analyst projections, not measurements.

      Factory demonstration · what we have

      At Site 01, operators mate every connector of a harness into a test fixture, run the electrical test and unmate it, hundreds of times a day. Real connectors, real fixtures, a PASS or FAIL for every cycle.

      Rack scenario · a research setting, not a product

      A data center rack is a different environment. The initiative does not operate racks or claim a rack-service robot. It offers the bench as the place to practice the shared motions: recognize, align, insert with the right force, handle the cable, hold still, confirm.

      Harness mated into a test rig; the screen reads PASS
      First electrical test · CBL-TEST-001
      04

      Why Cable Skills Could Transfer

      Cables are flexible objects, and that makes them hard to handle. But the actions repeat from one cable to the next.

      Research direction · potential, not result

      Locate, grasp, route, mate, unmate, verify: the same six actions recur across products. If flexible-cable manipulation crosses a key technical threshold, the ability learned on an ordinary data cable could carry over to high-speed cable, to automotive harnesses, and on to aerospace cable. Cables run through every industry, so one transferable breakthrough could reach a great many manufacturing settings. This initiative exists to help that turning point arrive sooner.

      Same six actions on every runglocategrasproutemateunmateverify

      The question is which skills transfer when the cable, the connector or the fixture changes, and what it takes to adapt them. Host sites can help by giving researchers access to real production variation, demonstrations and measurable outcomes through joint projects.

      05

      We Believe Robotics Can Change This

      Robot learning has moved fast. What it needs now is more real industrial settings with real variation and real pass-fail criteria.

      Research teams bring the algorithms, models and platforms. Host factories bring a working floor, the materials, the fixtures, the test equipment and the people who know the job.

      One more thing matters here. Today several adjacent processes are done entirely by hand, and what decides whether automation scales is whether those processes can run in sequence: one station handing off cleanly to the next, without routine human intervention between steps. That is the direction this initiative wants to push, and it is the foundation of industrial-scale deployment.

      This is not about showing what robots have already done. It is about finding out what they could do next, in a real factory, with partners who want to find out too.

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      The Factory Brings the Challenges. You Bring the Robotics.

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