[EFE] Bots Enthrall Visitors on Opening Day of Beijing World Robot Conference

Robots showcased tai-chi and calligraphyskills, played the guitar, painted, danced to popular pop tunes, played soccerand even mixed cocktails to the delight of the thousands of visitors attendingthe opening day of the World Robot Conference on Wednesday.

Humanoid robots, which could replace humanworkers in the near future, are set to be the stars of this year's conferencethat is themed "Creating Intelligent Momentum for a New Era of Opennessand Shared Benefits."

"The cost of these robots are currentlyhigh at around $ 100,000, but when we can lower it, their popularity willincrease," Hansen Shu, CEO of the firm Robosen told EFE in an email.

The conference, that runs until Aug. 19, isexpected to be attended by world-renowned robotics experts.

It will host talks as well as showcase thelatest advances in the sector and hold competitions across the five days.

More than 50,000 participants are expected toattend the event that aims to "enhance international cooperation onrobotics, step up connections between smart societies, so as to benefit thesocial life of human," a press release said.

The conference would also be showcasingdrones and exoskeletons, which are futuristic frames that could be attached tohuman bodies to enable them to lift large weights without fear of injury.

According to the International Federation ofRobotics, China is already one of the main markets for industrial robots,accounting for 25 percent of world sales.

"We are growing faster in robotics thanthe US or Europe because we love changes, and we have an innovative bent ofmind," Shu said.

(article source: EFE)