The world's first retail cabin completely serviced by a robot opened in Beijing on Thursday, bringing drinks to curious customers eager to experience this new application of China's cutting-edge robotic technology.
Occupying a stall of 9 square meters, the robot salesclerk "Galbot" can complete all the necessary tasks to sell beverages -- receiving clients, placing orders, and fetching products. The robot can even interact with customers in different languages.
Currently, coffee and bottled drinks are provided in the cabin.
"This store can stay open round the clock without anyone attending to it," said Wen Ai'rong, vice president of Beijing Galaxy Bot, the maker of Galbot.
The cabin is expected to serve an average of 2,000 clients and 500 orders per day.
In the future, Galaxy Bot hopes to open more robot-operated cabins at major junctions and scenic areas in the city, as well as offer a more diverse selection of products.
World's first retail cabin operated fully by robot opens in Beijing
World's first retail cabin operated fully by robot opens in Beijing
Influenza activity in China has declined for four consecutive weeks, with recent tests showing common pathogens and no evidence of new infectious diseases, the National Health Commission (NHC) said on Tuesday.
At its first press briefing of 2026, the commission reported that flu activity nationwide remains moderate at the moment.
According to Xin Li, a researcher at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, respiratory samples collected from sentinel hospitals indicated that the influenza virus was the most common pathogen, accounting for 27.4 percent of cases, followed by respiratory syncytial virus at 8.8 percent and rhinovirus at 5.7 percent.
"Influenza activity in China has declined for four consecutive weeks and remains at a moderate level overall. Analysis of nationwide fever clinic consultations, influenza-like illness cases at sentinel hospitals, and multi-pathogen testing shows that all detected pathogens are known common ones, with no evidence of unknown pathogens or new infectious diseases," Xin told the press.
Data from sentinel hospitals indicated flu activity was falling across provincial-level regions, while reports of school outbreaks dropped for five consecutive weeks. Laboratory tests showed that 97.3 percent of positive influenza samples were H3N2 subtype viruses.
China flu activity declines for fourth week, no new pathogens detected: official
