Life-like robots for sale in new Beijing shop
More than 100 types of products will be on sale at Robot Mall, which launched in the Chinese capital on Friday. The store is one of the first in the country to sell humanoid and consumer-oriented robots.
The outlet has been compared to a car dealership as it offers services including sales, spare parts and maintenance.
China has invested heavily in the robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) as it looks to overcome challenges such as slowing economic growth and an ageing population.
'If robots are to enter thousands of households, relying solely on robotics companies is not enough,' Wang Yifan, a Store Director, told Reuters. The robots on sale range in price from 2,000 yuan ($278, £207) to several million yuan.
Visitors will be able to interact with a wide range of robots, including dogs and chess players, organisers said. There is also a separate section offering replacement parts and robot maintenance services.
Robot Mall is located next to a themed restaurant, where diners are served by robots and the food is cooked by mechanical chefs.
China has increasingly prioritised the robotics industry, with subsidies topping $20bn over the past year. The Chinese government is also planning a 1 trillion yuan fund for AI and robotics start ups.
The opening of Robot Mall coincides with the start of the five-day World Robot Conference. Chinese state media said this year's event will see more than 1,500 exhibits from over 200 local and overseas robotic companies.
Beijing is also preparing to host the inaugural World Humanoid Robot Games from 14 to 17 August. Teams from more than 20 countries will compete in events including track and field, dance and football.
Source: BBC News
Image Credit: Stock Image
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gulf Business
35 minutes ago
- Gulf Business
Here's how Sharjah is using AI to care for the elderly
Image credit: Getty Images Sharjah is strengthening its reputation as an age-friendly city by integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and smart care technologies to enhance support for senior citizens. This initiative is in line with the humanitarian vision of Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah. Read- The emirate has already launched several AI-based tools. The Virtual Social Advisor connects seniors with service providers through interactive audio and video channels, while the Virtual Companion facilitates daily contact with healthcare and support teams via smart screens. The Complementing these platforms are mobile clinics that deliver home-based medical care, the Mishwar transport service that assists seniors in reaching health centres, and the Sharjah also promotes active ageing through cultural, social, and sports programmes. Digital literacy training helps older adults build confidence in using smart technologies, ensuring they stay connected and independent. These integrated initiatives reflect a comprehensive smart care ecosystem designed to preserve dignity, promote independence, and improve the quality of life for Sharjah's senior citizens, positioning the emirate as a leading model in elderly care for the digital era.
Zawya
44 minutes ago
- Zawya
FedEx, UPS, DHL executives to face fresh scrutiny in India antitrust case
NEW DELHI: Top India executives of FedEx, UPS, Aramex and DHL are set to be cross-examined in coming weeks by a book publishers' group which accused them of price collusion, a new twist in an antitrust probe that cleared the courier companies of wrongdoing last year, a document shows. Allowing a complainant to interrogate companies is not common in Indian antitrust cases. It means the final findings of the antitrust investigation could change and create new challenges for the courier majors, and the case will be prolonged by several months, antitrust lawyers and government sources said. Many foreign and domestic companies are bullish about the Indian courier and parcel delivery market, which is expected to grow 11% a year to $14.3 billion by 2030, bolstered by a boom in online shopping, research firm Mordor Intelligence says. In December, Reuters reported the Competition Commission of India (CCI) found "no evidence" of courier firms sharing commercial information amongst themselves. The 2022 cartel case, whose details remain confidential in line with rules, was triggered when the Federation of Indian Publishers alleged collusion on prices and discounts by delivery firms. The CCI has now found merit in a complaint by the publishers' group which argued it must be allowed to cross-examine the delivery company executives as investigators only relied on oral submissions to give the companies a clean chit. The federation "has demonstrated sufficient cause establishing necessity and expediency of conducting such cross-examination," the CCI noted in a May 28 internal order that was reviewed by Reuters. The order said the executives to be questioned were Subhasish Chakraborty, Managing Director of India's DTDC Express; R.S. Subramanian, Managing Director of DHL Express India; Suvendu Choudhury, a vice president of FedEx in India; Percy Avari, general manager of Aramex in India, and Abbas Panju, India managing director of UPS Express. None of the executives responded to requests for comment. DHL said in a statement it operates in full compliance with all laws and is "cooperating fully with the CCI", but could not comment on specifics. The CCI, as well as other companies - DTDC, U.S.-based FedEx and UPS, and Dubai's Aramex did not respond to Reuters queries. The Federation of Indian Publishers also did not respond. It represents many Indian publishers like and Rupa Publications, as well as some foreign groups like Pan Macmillan. 'RARE' CROSS-EXAMINATION Sending the case back to the CCI investigators could become an irritant for the logistics industry, which has faced scrutiny since 2015, when France levied a $735 million fine on 20 companies, including FedEx and DHL, for secretly colluding to increase prices. In India, cross-examination of companies by the complainant "is rare," said Gautam Shahi, a competition law partner at Indian law firm Dua Associates. "Such cross-examination may reveal new facts and the conclusions of the earlier investigation report may come into question. It may change the direction of the case," he said. The CCI investigations unit will now oversee the cross-examination proceedings in coming weeks and submit a report to top antitrust officials for a review, four sources familiar with the matter said. The Federation of Indian Publishers had alleged that courier companies acted together to determine charges, and also did not reduce the fuel surcharge they charged when jet fuel prices dropped. The 202-page investigation report shared with the companies privately last year, and seen by Reuters this week, notes that 36 notices were sent to 15 courier firms during 2023-24 to gather details of their businesses, with UPS submitting the most responses - 13. The CCI report concludes no email correspondence surfaced that showed "any collusive/concerted activities" among rivals. The Federation of Indian Publishers has also successfully argued it wants to point out several anomalies in the earlier recorded statements of company executives, which were ignored by investigators, noted the CCI order that allowed the cross-examination. (Reporting by Aditya Kalra; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
Crypto Insight
44 minutes ago
- Crypto Insight
Metaplanet outperforms Japan's most liquid blue-chip stocks in 2025
Bitcoin-focused investment company Metaplanet has surged almost 190% year-to-date (YTD), leaving Japan's largest and most liquid blue-chip companies in its wake. On Wednesday, Metaplanet released its earnings report for the second quarter of 2025. The report showed that the company's YTD performance dwarfed the 7.2% average gain posted by the Tokyo Stock Price Index (TOPIX) Core 30, a benchmark tracking giants like Toyota, Sony and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Metaplanet's standout performance in 2025 comes amid its aggressive Bitcoin pivot, with the Tokyo-listed company expanding its treasury through regular purchases. Investors are placing bets on Metaplanet's Bitcoin strategy paying off. According to the report, the number of Metaplanet shareholders climbed to over 180,000 as of June 2025, up 350% since it started its Bitcoin accumulation strategy in the fourth quarter of 2024. Metaplanet outperforms Japan's TOPIX Core 30 amid Bitcoin strategy Apart from Metaplanet outperforming the average gain by the index, the company has also surpassed the performance of popular individual stocks. The report showed that Metaplanet's YTD gains exceeded even the top-performing TOPIX Core 30 members, including Mitsubishi, Nintendo and SoftBank Group. These companies posted double-digit gains throughout the same time period but still lagged behind Metaplanet by wide margins. Other index members like Japan Tobacco, Mizuho Financial Group and Tokio Marine Holdings posted modest gains. At the same time, companies like Toyota Motor Corp. and Murata Manufacturing showed slight declines, highlighting a gap in market sentiment. Founded as a hospitality company, Metaplanet rebranded itself in 2024 as a Bitcoin accumulation vehicle, mimicking the playbook of US-based Strategy. According to the company, it remains the only firm offering regulated Bitcoin exposure in Japan within a public company framework. Metaplanet to raise $3.7 billion to buy more Bitcoin Metaplanet previously announced that it aims to acquire 1% of Bitcoin's total supply by 2027. This means that the company plans to purchase 210,000 BTC over the next two years. To help achieve this goal, the company announced on Aug. 1 that it will raise $3.7 billion dollars through a stock offering. The company said it intends to actively pursue equity financing as part of its Bitcoin Strategy. In August, the company had already spent over $100 million to buy Bitcoin. On Aug. 4, Metaplanet purchased 463 BTC, with $53.7 million. The company followed it up with a $61.4 million Bitcoin purchase on Tuesday. Source:
