Robot Shops In Beijing Sell Replica Einstein And Partners Playing Chess, Proof China Dominates Robotics

JAKARTA Imagine playing chess against robots that are intelligent or have robotic pet dogs at home. In fact, now you can learn the theory of relativity directly from a replica the original size of a legendary physicist, Albert Einstein.

All of this is now making sense in a new robotic store that will open in Beijing on Friday 8 August. The store sells more than 100 types of robots, including humanoids and other consumer robots from more than 40 Chinese technology brands such as Ubtech Robotics and Unitree Robotics.

The store is one of the first in China to specifically sell humanoid robots and robots for household needs, reflecting the country's great ambition to become a global leader in artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics.

"If robots want to enter thousands of households, we can't just rely on robotic companies," said Wang Yifan, director of the shop, on Wednesday, August 6. He stressed the importance of solutions that are tailored to consumer needs.

This store adopts the concept of "4S" which is similar to a car dealer, which provides sales services, spare parts, maintenance, and a need survey. Robots sold here have a very diverse price range, ranging from 2,000 yuan (around IDR 4.4 million) to several million yuan.

China's focus on developing robotics aims to address major challenges such as an aging population and the economic slowdown. The sector is gaining a huge boost with government subsidies that have reached more than $20 billion in the past year.

In addition, Beijing is also planning a fund of one trillion yuan (approximately 137 billion US dollars) to support startups in the fields of AI and robotics.

With this aggressive move, China is trying to ensure its position as a global leader in the ongoing technological revolution.