Robots gather in Beijing for prestigious conference

An engineer is testing a robot from her company. [Photo: from Xinhua] 

The great and the good of the robotics industry have gathered in Beijing for the 2017 World Robot Conference.

Taking the themes this year of "Welcoming the Smart Society, Encouraging Innovation, Creativity, and Business Start-ups," the conference in Yizhuang, Tongzhou District, brings together a number of leading enterprises from home and abroad for five days of product launches, displays, seminars and games involving the latest technology in this fast developing field.

A staff member is explaining the functions of the robot to a visitor. [Photo: from Xinhua]

One of the most eye-catching exhibits is a robot dragonfly, designed by a Germany company. Weighing just 170 grams, it is able to mimic the complicated flying patterns of a real dragonfly.

It can fly, flap, swerve, glide and carry out any manner of complex manoeuvres, by adjusting the frequency and rotation of its robotic wings. 

An engineer is presenting a robot from his company to the visitors. [Photo: from Xinhua]

Elsewhere in the conference centre, visitors can find a robot playing the piano and singing songs. According to its creator, it composed the songs itself, and has a repertoire of thousands of tracks stored in its memory.

One of the most impressive domestic robots on display is one that can perform orthopaedic surgery, the first in the world able to carry out delicate procedures on the spine, pelvis, arms and legs. The robot has been jointly developed by a prestigious Chinese hospital, universities, a research center, and a private company.