China showcases AI innovation at key expo

Inside a service robotics exhibition hall at the Canton Fair complex in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, an intelligent amphibious spherical robot is demonstrating its abilities, detecting obstacles on its way.

The spherical robot, along with more service robots such as a high-altitude cleaning robot, mowing robot and orthopedic surgical robot, was among the hot items displayed by Chinese companies during the China Import and Export Fair, popularly known as the Canton Fair.

Widely seen as a barometer of China's foreign trade, the fair kicked off its 138th session on Oct 15, with the organizers again putting in place a service robotics zone to comprehensively display the country's development in the service robotics sector.

"The development speed of the robotics industry, especially in the service area, surpasses any previous industry," said Duan Tianye, deputy general manager of Luoteng (Hangzhou) Science and Technology Co.

After displaying its intelligent amphibious spherical robots for the first time in the previous session of the fair, the company, based in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province, secured a number of orders from overseas buyers, Duan said.

"Whether it's the maturity of technology, the pace of evolution, the stability of products, the implementation of real-world application scenarios or the formation of a commercial closed loop, all these aspects are advancing much faster than in any other industry we have experienced before," said Duan.

The company's Rotunbot intelligent amphibious spherical robots have been put into use by multiple domestic public security bureaus, armed police forces, airports and petrochemical industrial parks.

The Rotunbot is the only amphibious intelligent robot capable of executing a variety of unmanned tasks over prolonged periods in non-friendly and critical environments such as airports, underground utility tunnels, and energy and chemical industries.

Like Rotunbot, a wide range of robotic products that combine technological foresight with mature commercial applications were showcased during the fair's first phase, demonstrating how AI innovation is rapidly bridging the last mile to real-world applications.

"By displaying our latest products, we want to know better about the needs of overseas customers, thereby promoting product iteration and upgrades," said Li Jiaxian, brand manager of Dobot Robotics, based in Shenzhen, Guangdong.

The company has experienced explosive growth in the commercial services sector this year, with related business revenue surging by 165.5 percent year-on-year in the first half, Li said.