Taiwanese parts maker Chicony Electronics saw sales drop in August, but it landed a spot in a US robotics supply chain that could matter more over time.

• August sales fell 23% from a year ago and 7.6% from July, with sales for the year so far down 8.5%.
• Higher raw material costs and a shortage of key chips have made customers slow to order.
• Business-grade products are holding up better than consumer gadgets, and are now the main shipping focus.
• Chicony has been picked to build the cameras and data-collection gear for a well-known US robotics startup, acting as the robot's eyes and senses.
• The company has been shifting research money into AI vision systems used in security, fleet tracking, video calls, and wearables.

Outlook: Sales stay under pressure while chip shortages last, with the robotics work the main hope for a turnaround.