Insta360 unveils “Cameraman” robot vision on 11th anniversary

On its 11th anniversary, Insta360 officially announced plans to build a “Cameraman” photography robot, mapping its existing products—including AI chips, Nano cameras, Link webcams, Yingling A1, and Luna Ultra—to the robot’s brain, eyes, neck, and body respectively, in an effort to integrate its fragmented product lines into a unified technology roadmap,  according to BigGo Finance. Founder Liu Jingkang had previously hinted at this vision in a shareholder letter, stating the company had completed its core technology layout over the past six years.

On July 9, the SSE STAR Market-listed company made a high-profile announcement through official channels that it is developing a photography robot called “Cameraman,” signaling an ambition to evolve from an imaging hardware manufacturer into an intelligent perception terminal provider.

On the morning of July 9, Insta360 published a post on its official WeChat account titled “We’re Building a ‘Robot’,” stating the company had “spent 11 years laying the ‘machine’ foundation.” Around midday, Insta360 also posted on Weibo, and the related hashtag “Insta360 officially announces photography robot” quickly trended, drawing widespread market attention. While the external world largely interpreted this as a signal that Insta360 is formally crossing over into the robotics arena, the information disclosed by the company suggests it is more of a systematic consolidation of existing technological accumulation and a public declaration of its future vision.

Insta360 did not showcase a physical robot prototype but used a conceptual diagram mapping various products released over the past few years to different body parts of “Cameraman.” The AI chip, under development since 2020, was defined as the robot’s “central brain”; the Nano camera series was positioned as the “eyes,” having iterated from the X series to the GO and ACE series; the Wave audio product launched last year and the Mic Pro released in May this year were defined as the “ears”; the Link webcam, launched in August 2022 and equipped with a multi-axis gimbal for subject tracking, played the role of the “neck”; and the Yingling A1, launched last year, was positioned as the “torso.”

Even the Luna Ultra, a dual-lens gimbal camera released just over a month ago, was described by Insta360 as an “important, unfinished form” on the Cameraman development path. Insta360 officially stated that the Luna Ultra, with its appearance resembling a small robot, is in a sense an early prototype of Cameraman.

Insta360 wrote in the post: “Where will Insta360 go in the future? The answer lies hidden in those past milestones.” The company posed a vision: could there exist a “Cameraman” photography robot that actively composes and captures shots like a professional photographer, allowing users to simply immerse themselves in the moment without missing any highlights? Insta360 emphasized that this is not a process of “holding back a big move,” but a natural extension of ongoing technological accumulation.

This is not the first time Insta360 has mentioned the photography robot concept. As early as April this year, founder Liu Jingkang had already articulated this vision in his first shareholder letter after the company’s listing. He wrote: “Is it possible that in the future, everyone could have a portable ‘photography robot’—like a professional photographer you hire for a trip or team-building event—that automatically moves through space, finds angles, and captures those wonderful moments, while you simply enjoy the present to the fullest?” Liu revealed at the time that this idea had first emerged six years ago.

At a subsequent annual performance investor briefing, Liu further emphasized: “The photography robot is a very important direction. The company has completed its core technology layout over the past six years and will continue to drive the product’s evolution from a recording tool to an intelligent perception terminal.”

According to sources close to Insta360, the photography robot will not be limited to a single form factor; a panoramic drone could be seen as one of the early prototypes similar to Cameraman. Its core capability is to automatically compose, capture, and produce finished footage for users, allowing them to truly immerse themselves in the moment. However, regarding the final product form and launch timeline, the source said it is currently difficult to estimate, describing the photography robot as a long-term product vision.

Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Shenzhen, Insta360’s main products span panoramic cameras, action cameras, professional-grade VR panoramic cameras, video conferencing equipment, and handheld photography devices. Founder Liu Jingkang, born in 1991, is a member of the post-90s generation and a graduate of Nanjing University’s School of Software. In June 2025, Insta360 listed on the SSE STAR Market at an IPO price of 47.27 yuan per share, closing at 177 yuan on its first trading day, with its total market capitalization briefly exceeding 70 billion yuan (approximately $10.3 billion).

However, the market’s reaction to Insta360’s high-profile robot announcement was notably subdued. As of the close on July 9, Insta360’s stock closed at 135.98 yuan, up 0.88%, with a latest market capitalization of 54.53 billion yuan (approximately $8.0 billion). This price represents a cumulative decline of over 64% from the all-time high of 377.77 yuan per share set in September 2025, with market value evaporating by more than 96.9 billion yuan (approximately $14.3 billion).

Insta360’s decision to emphasize its robotics roadmap at this juncture stems from multiple considerations. On one hand, the company has just completed the important capital markets milestone of its listing, and its various product lines have received positive feedback in the consumer market, creating a need—both internally and externally—to articulate a clearer direction for the next phase of development. On the other hand, the panoramic photography space is facing increasingly intense competition. Heavyweights like DJI have deeply entered the market, while smartphone manufacturers such as Vivo and OPPO have relatively clear timelines for launching panoramic camera products.

For Insta360, relying solely on the imaging narrative is no longer sufficient to support a high valuation; capital markets urgently need a new growth story. The embodied AI robotics sector is currently in a valuation breakout window. According to ITJuzi, an enterprise database, in the first quarter of this year, China’s embodied AI sector recorded over 50 disclosed financing deals, with more than 30 companies receiving investment and cumulative financing of approximately 20 billion yuan (approximately $3.0 billion), a year-on-year increase of nearly 60%, hitting a record high. According to a report by Chang’an Avenue News, as of April this year, China’s embodied AI sector had recorded 122 disclosed financing events in 2026, with total capital amounting to approximately 34.5 billion yuan (approximately $5.1 billion), meaning the robotics sector was absorbing hundreds of millions of yuan daily.

Chen Jingjing, founder of Jingjie Brand Consulting, analyzed that Insta360’s proposed layout for a “photography robot” is a search for growth space in intelligent imaging products. From a capital markets perspective, this is also an important attempt to build a second growth curve. She noted: “The photography robot is merely the terminal carrier; the core lies in the accumulation of capabilities in AI vision, intelligent perception, and autonomous decision-making. These technologies can not only be applied to consumer-grade products but may also extend in the future to scenarios such as robot vision training and model development, further expanding Insta360’s development space in the field of robot vision.”

Regarding this official announcement, a reporter from International Finance News reached out to Insta360 for further information, but as of press time, Insta360 had not responded.

Judging from the signals conveyed internally, Insta360 is attempting to differentiate itself from hardware companies solely pursuing commercialization. Liu Jingkang stated in an internal letter: “We are not a company that only thinks about commercialization, efficiency, and user scale. We also want to solve some problems that no one else is willing to solve—that is the company’s fundamental character. I believe everyone can see this pursuit from the products we’ve released, like the Mic Pro’s e-ink screen and Luna’s detachable screen. Even when entering an existing market, we will bring the innovation that Insta360 should deliver.”

Insta360’s official robot announcement is, in essence, a strategic communication aimed at the capital markets. At a time when its stock price is under pressure and competition is intensifying, integrating previously fragmented product lines into a unified “photography robot” technology roadmap serves both as an internal confirmation of R&D direction and the beginning of a new narrative for the outside world. However, whether this still-conceptual “Cameraman” can truly materialize and carve out a place in the fiercely competitive embodied AI arena remains to be tested by time.