Robots to take on real-world jobs at application skills expo in Hangzhou

Hundreds of robots will be tested for real-world roles at an upcoming expo in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, as the industry shifts from eye-catching demos to practical applications

The organizer, China Media Group, will host this Zhejiang leg of the 1st Intelligent Robot Application Skills Exhibition on Sunday, with more than 60 companies showcasing over 300 robots spanning special operations, smart commerce and public services.

Rather than showing off dazzling moves, the machines will recreate real work scenarios and demonstrate what they can do on the job. Ahead of the opening, robot squads are drilling hard at the rehearsal site.

Among them is a team that simulates an air-ground collaborative patrol. A drone drops supplies at a target location before a robot dog takes over. That dog is no rookie. It has already been deployed in chemical plants and industrial parks across the country, handling inspection and security duties, and is equipped with infrared cameras and gas sensors that let it sense its environment on its own.

Next comes a more unusual four-legged machine with a robotic arm. As the rehearsal shows, it can grab obstacles in its path. Though small, it handles objects weighing around two kilograms with ease, a capability that could prove valuable in hazardous settings such as nuclear power plants and chemical facilities.

Another machine on display is a spray painting robot. Its arm extends up to 3.2 meters, and it can build parametric maps on site and automatically plan its own painting routes for walls and ceilings. It is built for large, high-altitude spraying jobs, taking on the complex and grueling work that would otherwise fall to people.

China Media Group launched its first Intelligent Robot Application Skills Exhibition in Beijing in July, aiming to help smart robots find practical use across more fields and inject fresh momentum into economic and social development.

Robots to take on real-world jobs at application skills expo in Hangzhou

Members of China's team for the upcoming 48th WorldSkills Competition are undergoing intensive training in Hangzhou City, in east China's Zhejiang Province.

Scheduled to run from September 22 to 27 in Shanghai, the WorldSkills Competition aims to promote technical and vocational education worldwide. It tests practical skills in areas such as manufacturing and construction.

Competitors will show their skills in events like wall and floor tiling and concrete construction, which have extremely strict requirements for reducing errors.

"For example, the completeness and smoothness of the cuts are part of the subjective scoring. Next, I'll show you how judges check the vertical alignment during the inspection. For the test event, we require zero error. When the level is placed against the surface and the reading is zero, that means a perfect score. If it shows one, the corresponding points will be deducted," said Gao Yantao, a technical expert for Team China.

Yao Wangze, a competitor in the concrete construction event, said the details determine success or failure during the games.

"For example, if the design calls for 200 millimeters, we need to cut the side panel to around 198 millimeters and then attach a sponge strip. To prevent concrete from leaking after it is poured, we need to leave room for the sponge strip's thickness. These are all details that need careful consideration. At the competition, everyone is at about the same level, so it's the small details that make the difference," Yao said.

Chinese competitors undergo training in Hangzhou for 48th WorldSkills Competition