Adept Technology Signs Siasun Robot & Automation Co. as New System Integrator; Adept Partners With Shenyang Institute of Automation to Expand Robotic Offerings in China.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 5, 2001

Adept Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq:ADTK), a leading manufacturer of flexible automation for the telecommunications, fiber optic and semiconductor industries, today announced that Siasun Robot & Automation Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of the Shenyang Institute of Automation, has agreed to be Adept's new system integrator in China. Siasun will integrate Adept products, including the Adept Cobra and the Adept-XL robot series, into complete automation solutions for the telecommunications, electronics, appliances, pharmaceutical, food processing and automotive components industries.

"We are very excited to pair Adept's world class robotics and Siasun's background in robotics and automation in the Chinese market," said Eimei Onaga, director of Pacific Rim operations for Adept Technology. "Adept's products combined with Siasun's extensive knowledge of the market will provide complete automation solutions to Siasun's integration business."

"We chose Adept as our partner because they have been a leading supplier of advanced robotic and control systems for small parts assembly and material handling applications worldwide," says Mr. DaoKui Qu, vice president of Siasun Robot and Automation Co., Ltd. "We expect our partnership with Adept to play an important role in promoting robotic development in China."

Adept's Cobra 600 & 800 robot series has established itself as the industry's fastest table top SCARA robot line and incorporates unique features that reduce the time and cost of integration. The Adept family of Direct Drive SCARA robots are designed for reliable, high-speed, long life automation applications. The Direct Drive motors used with the Adept-XL robot series produce high torque without gearing allowing quick acceleration and deceleration motions resulting in reliable and significantly reduced cycle times.

Siasun is a subsidiary organization of the Shenyang Institute of Automation, and the first nationwide company to focus on the robotics industry. They have five branches in China that focus on robotic assembly, welding and palletizing.

Adept Technology designs, manufactures and markets factory automation components and systems for the fiber optic, telecommunications, semiconductor, automotive, food and durable goods industries throughout the world. Adept's robots, controllers, and software products are used for small parts assembly, material handling and ultra precision process applications. Our intelligent automation product lines include industrial robots, configurable linear modules, flexible feeders, semiconductor process components, nanopositioners, machine controllers for robot mechanisms and other flexible automation equipment, machine vision, systems and software, application software, and simulation software. Founded in 1983, Adept is America's largest manufacturer of industrial robots. More information is available at www.adept.com.

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results could vary for a number of reasons, including but not limited to, the potential delays associated with the development and introduction of new products or software releases; the potential fluctuations in the company's quarterly and annual results of operations; the company's dependence on the continued growth of the intelligent automation market; the risks associated with sole or single sources of supply and lengthy procurement lead times; our product's long sales cycles and implementation periods, the company's need to adequately invest in research and development; the company's significant fixed costs that cannot be easily reduced in the event of a decrease in demand; the potential that our new or existing products may contain defects, errors or performance problems, the company's highly competitive industry; and rapid technological change within the company's industry.

For a discussion of additional risk factors relating to Adept's business, see Adept's annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2000 and Adept's Form 10-Q for the quarter ended December 31, 2000, including the discussion in Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations contained therein.

Note to Editors: The Adept logo is a registered trademark of Adept Technology, Inc. Adept, Adept Cobra and Adept-XL are trademarks of Adept Technology, Inc. All other trademarks are owned by their respective companies.