TLDR: Midea has launched the world’s first intelligent agent factory in Jingzhou, certified by WRCA, integrating a ‘Factory Brain’ for scheduling, 14 intelligent agents, and collaborative robots across 38 production scenarios. This AI-driven system has boosted efficiency by over 80% and improved scheduling response by 90%, marking a significant leap in smart manufacturing and Midea’s broader embodied intelligence strategy.
Midea, a global leader in home appliances, has officially unveiled the world’s first intelligent agent factory at its washing machine manufacturing base in Jingzhou, Hubei Province. This groundbreaking facility has been certified by the World Record Certification Agency (WRCA) as ‘the world’s first intelligent agent factory with excellent multi-scenario coverage,’ signaling a new era in smart manufacturing.
At the heart of this innovative factory is the ‘Midea Factory Brain,’ described as the ‘nerve center’ of the operation. It employs a highly available and scalable distributed multi-agent architecture, enabling autonomous collaboration among its intelligent agents through Agent-to-Agent (A2A) communication. The system also integrates a large-model inference engine specifically designed for industrial applications, significantly enhancing its intelligent decision-making capabilities.
The factory operates with 14 intelligent agents that collectively manage 38 core production business scenarios, demonstrating end-to-end capabilities encompassing perception, decision-making, execution, feedback, and continuous optimization. Practical results from the Jingzhou factory are impressive: intelligent agents can complete tasks in seconds that previously required hours of manual labor, leading to an average efficiency improvement of over 80%. Notably, the scheduling response speed has increased by a remarkable 90%. To illustrate the system’s structure, Midea likens the factory brain to the central hub for task scheduling, intelligent agents to neural networks for specific tasks, and intelligent terminals (robots) to the limbs responsible for execution. A prime example is the quality inspection process, which now benefits from this rapid, AI-driven approach.
This development aligns with Midea’s broader strategic push into advanced robotics and artificial intelligence. The company is set to deploy self-developed humanoid robots in its Jingzhou washing machine factory as early as next month, with these robots designed to assist with machine operations, equipment inspections, and material handling. Xi Wei, head of Midea’s humanoid robot innovation center, emphasized the company’s focus on refining these robots to overcome challenges such as battery life, data collection, simulation, and joint lightweighting.
Midea’s commitment to embodied intelligence—the convergence of robotics, AI, and real-world agency—was further highlighted at the 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai. The company unveiled a new humanoid robot prototype, reflecting its ambition to develop service robots capable of performing complex household chores like laundry, loading dishwashers, and folding clothes, moving beyond mere observation to active participation. This vision is supported by substantial investment, with Yicai Global estimating Midea has allocated CNY 1.5 billion ($208 million) towards an embodied intelligence technology platform. Midea’s R&D budget also expanded over 13% year-on-year to approximately $1.57 billion (11.4 billion yuan) by Q1 2025.
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Looking ahead, Midea Group plans to expand the coverage of its intelligent agents to more scenarios and replicate this advanced factory model across its global network of factories, solidifying its position at the forefront of the smart manufacturing revolution.
