Two travelogue hosts have dropped into a robot 6S store in the southern tech hub of Shenzhen, a one-stop retail concept for all things robotic, and found a place where ordinary people can experience the technology up close, opening the door to closer human-AI interaction.
The commercialization of the robot industry has given rise to new forms of business in the city. On the AI Services Street in its Longgang District, the first of its kind in China, crowds have been forming daily since the street opened in early September, with visitors coming to view exhibitions, try out robot services and, in many cases, leave with orders.
Among them were Alex McCutcheon and Jack Klumpp, who went from petting a robotic dog to dancing alongside embodied AI robots, before sitting down to a meal whipped up by robotic chefs, discovering along the way just how far robotics has come.
"So like everything related to the sale, spare parts, services, surveys, leasing, customization around robot," Klumpp said, summing up what the 6S model has on offer.
The real test, however, came when Klumpp strapped on an exoskeleton designed to assist with heavy lifting. His challenge was hoisting McCutcheon himself, who tips the scales at over 100 kilograms. With a little help from the technology, the task proved far easier than expected
The pair were equally impressed by the taste and presentation of the Chinese cuisine prepared and served by robots, which they said reflects a close cooperation between chefs and machines.
"I think that what we'd expect from this kind of food is a very good balance of the condiments because they can measure very exactly and put it in at exactly the right time. We can have a look at it here. It's very easy to cook eggplant and make it colorless and gray. But this is such a bright color on the skin here. At the moment, people still need to be involved just to get the job done. This is a cooperation," McCutcheon said while tasting the food.
Travelogue hosts put Shenzhen's one-stop robot store to the test
