HANGZHOU: The Asian Games in China have transformed into a mesmerizing machine-centric spectacle, featuring an array of autonomous devices, including mosquito eliminators, driverless ice-cream vans, and android pianists.
After a one-year delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Games have finally commenced, welcoming around 12,000 athletes, numerous journalists, technical experts, and spectators to the host city, Hangzhou.
Hangzhou, known as a hub for China’s technology industry, has seized the opportunity to showcase an impressive lineup of robots and futuristic gadgets designed to assist, entertain, and enforce rules for attendees.
Among the technological wonders, an automated mosquito trapper roams the vast Games Village, luring and eliminating mosquitoes by mimicking human body temperature and breath. Robotic “dogs” capable of running, jumping, and performing flips patrol power-supply facilities, while smaller versions dance, and a bright-yellow android takes to the piano.
Visitors to the nearby city of Shaoxing, which hosts baseball and softball events, can experience rides in driverless minibuses. Athletes can even test their reflexes against a table-tennis playing “Pongbot.” Inside the massive media center, a blushing plastic-and-metal receptionist, complete with a number pad and card slots built into its torso, greets customers at a makeshift bank. Even the construction of venues received assistance from construction robots, described by organizers as “very cute, with unique skills.”
China’s Commitment to Embracing Technology at Games
China’s commitment to embracing technology at the Games is evident in the choice of mascots—three humanoid robots named Congcong, Lianlian, and Chenchen. Their smiling faces adorn prominent signs throughout Hangzhou and other nearby host cities.
Hangzhou, with a population of 12 million people, has earned a reputation as a home for tech startups, including a thriving robotics sector eager to rival industry leaders in countries like the United States and Japan.
At a business park, DEEP Robotics staff put some of their most advanced models through their paces. They commanded a four-legged bot to navigate construction rubble and sent another up a pedestrian bridge slick with rain. A real dog even made an appearance, curiously inspecting its robotic counterpart.
Elsewhere in the city, office workers enjoy lunch from vending machines that not only steam the food but also check its temperature to ensure it’s just right. These machines also collect data on customer preferences.
While concerns about personal information and data use arise in some countries, at least one customer expressed admiration, stating, “Its cooking skills are better than most people who don’t know how to cook,” said Hu, 29.
The global race to advance artificial intelligence has brought AI-enabled humanoid robots to international events, even claiming that they could potentially manage society more efficiently than humans. Industrial robots have also raised concerns about job displacement worldwide.
However, Qian Xiaoyu, a DEEP Robotics executive, emphasized, “I wouldn’t say that robots will replace humans, but rather they are a tool, and they will help humans.”
