An array of humanoid robots showcased practical and efficient solutions for elderly care, designed to address the specific needs of China's senior population at the World Robot Conference (WRC) 2024, which ran from Aug. 21 to 25 in Beijing.
An impressive selection of 27 different types of humanoid robots were displayed at the conference, a record high among all previous sessions, attracting a great deal of attention from conference attendees.
Among them, a humanoid robot named Wanda can be operated remotely with a VR headset to grab objects and even perform housework via remote control, including preparing food, doing laundry and folding clothes.
According to the robot's exhibitor, these capabilities are highly relevant to China's growing elderly population in less densely populated areas, where residents may not have easy access to large care facilities.
"In rural areas, the environment is more complex. Maybe the children of the elderly people are working in other cities. We have already developed robots capable of tasks like laundry, burger making, and folding clothes. By integrating these capabilities, our robot Wanda is increasingly proficient in assisting with household chores," said Min Shihui, an exhibitor with Chinese humanoid-maker UniX AI.
Another life-like humanoid robot from a Shanghai-based company can chat, remind patients to take medicine, and aid with remote health monitoring.
The company's exhibitors even showcased the direct connection of the robot with the human brain using a brain-computer interface.
The research team hopes that in the future, robots can provide emotional value and spiritual companionship to elderly people living alone.
"We mainly focus on the elderly, providing care and health management services in their daily lives. This includes conducting screenings for Alzheimer's disease and assisting with simple tasks and interactions at home, such as fetching medicines and essential daily items," said Zhang Yongpan, general manager of Robosys, a Shanghai-based intelligent robot research and development company.
The WRC 2024 has brought together hundreds of industry professionals and highlighted a number of cutting-edge developments in the fast-evolving robotics industry. According to the organizer, 169 global companies, including ABB, Tesla, Kuka and SMC, are presenting their 600-plus exhibits throughout the five-day event.
Humanoid robots provide practical elderly care solutions at World Robot Conference 2024
Executives of leading Chinese private enterprises vowed to break new ground in developing private economy and better serve the country's 1.4 billion people after attending a symposium on private economy held in Beijing on Monday.
President Xi Jinping delivered an important speech at the symposium.
In his speech, Xi urged efforts to promote the healthy and high-quality development of the country's private sector.
The private sector enjoys broad prospects and great potential on the new journey in the new era. It is a prime time for private enterprises and entrepreneurs to give full play to their capabilities, Xi said.
In exclusive interviews with China Central Television (CCTV), entrepreneurs who attended the symposium said they have been inspired to make greater contributions to the country.
"I think this time we are reassured so that we can roll up our sleeves and go all out to work. I could personally feel the General Secretary's sincere care for us private entrepreneurs and private enterprises, which once again ignited my passion for pioneering," said Qi Xiangdong, chairman of Qi-Anxin Group, a leading Chinese cybersecurity company.
"The promising prospect for the development of private enterprises he talked about encouraged us greatly. I think confidence is more valuable than gold. I believe that in the new situation, the development of private enterprises will surely step up to a new height, and our company will be down to earth to perform what we should do," said Liu Yonghao, chairman of the agricultural conglomerate New Hope Group.
Peng Fan, chairman of the KOCEL Group, an iron and steel foundry in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, spoke about navigating the specialized field in the industry and taking new challenges.
"We will spare no effort to pool our strength and transform and upgrade our entire enterprise, advancing to intelligent, high-end, and green development. All we think is how to propel our own growth while leading the industry forward, so as to contribute to the country's equipment manufacturing," said Peng.
"After we go back, we will seize every second to put our ideas into action. We will stay rooted in our industry, make our core business prominent, and give back to the society to the best of our ability, so as to take more farmers on the industrial chain to get richer," said Leng Youbin, chairman of Feihe Dairy from northeast China's Heilongjiang Province.
"The General Secretary has urged us all to steadfastly focus on our core business through innovative development, to pioneer new ventures, and to go global. He has laid out many specific requirements, which has inspired private enterprises and entrepreneurs to bolster their fighting will to make new contributions to promoting the country's private economy," said Nan Cunhui, chairman of Chint Group, a leading Chinese smart energy solutions provider.
Symposium on private economy inspires Chinese entrepreneurs