Futuristic robot ‘pets’, silent partners in the symphony of everyday life

BEIJING (April 13): Humankind has been keeping pets, such as dogs and cats, for ages. However, this practice is being reimagined as cutting-edge technologies, notably artificial intelligence (AI), give rise to a burgeoning realm of robot “pets” that are quite different from their fluffy, biological kin.

Among the videos that have recently been trending on Chinese social media, one clip of a woman walking a robotic dog on a leash down an ordinary street in Shanghai, followed by a fully clothed humanoid robot, has amazed many netizens.

Accompanied by hashtags such as “dog-walking-in-Shanghai-is-next-level,” this social media post showing a futuristic lifestyle in the eastern Chinese metropolis has garnered tens of thousands of views, as well as comments like “Sci-fi has now become a reality,” on microblogging platform Weibo.

In another viral clip filmed in Chengdu, the capital of southwest China’s Sichuan Province, a robotic dog carries a real puppy on its back for a walk down the street, attracting passersby to stop and take pictures of the futuristic scene.

According to an interview published by local media, AI technology allows the robotic dog to identify its surrounding environment to ensure a safe, hassle-free walking experience.

On Taobao, China’s leading e-commerce platform, the total sales volume of the Go2 quadruped robotic model developed by Chinese robotics startup Unitree Robotics on its official store has exceeded 3,000 units.

In the buyer’s feedback section, many reviewers have posted pictures of the robotic dog interacting with their children and family members or performing in various public venues.

“The robot, which I bought for my child, has given us a lot of joy. It has a steady walking pace. My child loves it so much that we take it out almost every week to have fun. A legendary tool for parenting,” one review reads.

With a booming intelligent electronics and robotics consumer market, China has seen a rising trend of quadruped robotics being integrated into various scenarios of people’s daily lives in recent years.

At a marathon event in Chongqing last month, robotic dogs performed a traditional lion dance and participated in the contest alongside 35,000 human runners.

During a recent Wu Opera show in east China’s Zhejiang Province, a robotic dog caught the audience by surprise when it appeared on stage as the role of a celestial dog from Chinese mythology, performing handstands and other complex moves.

The opera troupe said in a press interview that more character parts and costumes will be designed for the robotic dog and that its future shows will feature the classic backflip stunt.

In addition to entertainment and cultural scenarios, robotics are also being used in medical services and other public services across the country.

In Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang Province, a robotic dog named “Xiao Xi” has grabbed the spotlight in the press and on social media for its role as a caregiver in an elderly nursing home. It delivers medicines to senior residents at designated times, carries various items for them, and serves as a companion during walks, among other functions.

In the scenic area of Taishan Mountain in east China’s Shandong Province, robotic dogs are used as porters to carry heavy items and remove waste. In the city of Qingdao, two robotic dogs with a range of 15 kilometers have joined the local firefighting department to provide intelligent search-and-rescue assistance.

Last month, the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area in southeast Beijing debuted two robotic dogs to perform patrol duties, drawing many onlookers along their patrol route.

A quick search on the Chinese internet can yield countless similar examples. Research by GGII, a consultancy in south China’s Shenzhen that specializes in emerging industries, shows that China’s domestic quadruped robot market size stood at approximately 468 million yuan (about 64.9 million U.S. dollars) in 2023. It is expected to grow to over 4.8 billion yuan in 2030.

Building on existing momentum, the Chinese government has pledged comprehensive efforts to boost the development of intelligent robotics.

“We will support the extensive application of large-scale AI models and vigorously develop new-generation intelligent terminals and smart manufacturing equipment, including intelligent connected new-energy vehicles, AI-enabled phones and computers, and intelligent robots,” it said in this year’s government work report. – Xinhua