Bionic flying bird soars at World Robot Conference in China
Visitors were fascinated by robotic arms that can be used for picking and placing different objects.
BEIJING (Reuters) - China’s fifth annual World Robot Conference opened to the public in Beijing on Thursday (August 22), with bionic flying birds, robo-superheroes, and Taiji-playing robots all on show.
A robotic flying bird, inspired by a herring gull and created by German automation firm Festo, wowed as it soared over crowds of people. The robotuses lightweight material weighing around 400 grams, and it is able to take off, fly and land using its own power. It also uses GPS navigation and a remote camera to achieve semi-autonomous flight.
Another eye-catching exhibit was a service robot with two legs capable of both walking and wheeling. Chief Marketing Officer Zhao Botao said they named the robot "Nezha", who is a popular character in traditional Chinese folklore who is able to fly around using his wind fire wheels. It was the first time this robot was shown to the public and Zhao believed that it could drive further development of service robots’ legs in the future to boost safety and efficiency.
Visitors were also fascinated by robotic arms that can be used for picking and placing different objects, as well as robot that can draw portraits for people in no more than five minutes.
China is one of the largest markets for service and industrial robots with a growing demand for various kinds of products. The World Robot Conference runs from August 20 to 25, with over 660 experts and entrepreneurs participating to showcase their works.
