China’s quest to become a robot superpower
As its population shrinks, China hopes machines can pick up the slack
CHINA’S FIRST attempt at building a humanoid robot did not hit the mark. The machine produced in 2000 by a team at the National University of Defence Technology looked like a walking toaster. It had googly eyes and cannon-like protuberances near its crotch. Called Xianxingzhe, or Forerunner, it was mocked in neighbouring Japan, which at the time boasted far sleeker robots. Japanese netizens described it as China’s secret weapon—designed to make its enemies die of laughter.
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This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline “Xi-3PO”
From the December 23rd 2023 edition
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