A robotic band playing a symphony, a robotic bird flying around the hall, a quadrupedal robot crossing obstacles and a robotic arm stitching notches on a grape were just the tip of the iceberg of the myriad next-generation robotics on display at the World Robot Conference (WRC) which kicked off at Beijing Etrong International Exhibition & Convention Center on Tuesday.
Running from August 20 to 25, the "Robots Gala" has over 180 exhibitors from at home and abroad registered, bringing more than 700 of the latest demos.
From manufacturing to service and logistics sectors, robots stun the audience with their amazing performances. The fifth annual staging in China, the conference is expected to attract thousands of visitors around the world over the next few days.
The China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, the cradle of China's Long March rocket family, brought nine smart robot demos and one virtual reality (VR) product to the event. Most of the demos focused on security and industrial manufacturing capability. But visitors also got the opportunity to watch the rocket launch using the academy's VR tech.
Photo via China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology
"Powered by artificial intelligence (AI), robot research, development and application have been gradually shifted from basic handling, assembling tasks to more intelligent and advanced jobs," said Chen Jining, mayor of Beijing at the conference.
It's true that thanks to new technology like AI and 5G, household robots, such as nursing and companion bots, have already come to market, bringing convenience to people's everyday lives. According to an industry report, 14 percent of households worldwide will have smart robots by 2025.
When asked whether robots could replace nurses in the future, Lin Guan, general manager of Ecarelife Technologies who works in the elderly-care industry, suggested that there was a possibility.
"China is now facing a shortage of nursing workers," Lin told CGTN. "The rising demand cannot keep up with the aging population, so workers will not be replaced. Instead, robots are here to fill the blank of labor shortage."
Lin Guan, general manager of Ecarelife Technologies, demonstrates how to use a wheelchair robot during the World Robot Conference at the Beijing Etrong International Exhibition & Convention Center on Tuesday, August 20, 2019. /CGTN Photo
What's more, robots used in the medical industry have already revolutionized the way we receive treatment and will eventually change medicine forever. Surgical robots, for example, largely improve operation accuracy and flexibility.
Except for assistant robots, another trend in the robot surgeon sector is telesurgery, Lu Jingxi, a senior engineer at Shu Rui Technology, told CGTN. 5G technology can enable surgeons to carry out remote surgery on patients who cannot get the treatment on time. "This can redress the imbalance of China's medical resources."
Robot market in China
"China produced 148,000 industrial robots in 2018, accounting for more than 38 percent of the world total," Chinese Minister of Industry and Information Technology Miao Wei said in a speech during the opening ceremony.
According to the International Federation of Robotics, China has been the world's largest market for industrial robots for six consecutive years.
"The global robot market reached 14.4 billion U.S. dollars in the first half of 2019, of which China itself reached 4.25 billion U.S. dollars," Huai Jinpeng, vice president of the China Association for Science and Technology, said at the conference.