Humanoid Robots Now For Sale At China's New Robot Store

A new retail outlet in Beijing is making home robots an everyday reality for consumers. The store, which operates like a car dealership, provides sales, spare parts, and maintenance for a wide array of consumer-orientated robots.

The new shop is showcasing over 100 robots from more than 40 Chinese brands, including industry leaders. The products on display range from practical mechanical butlers to sophisticated human-like replicas of Albert Einstein. Visitors can also interact with a variety of other models, such as robotic dogs and chess-playing automatons. According to store director Wang Yifan, the store is a crucial step in making robots a common sight in homes.

The opening coincides with the start of the five-day World Robot Conference in Beijing and highlights China's aggressive push into the robotics and artificial intelligence sectors. The government has made significant investments, including over $20 billion in subsidies last year and a planned 1 trillion yuan fund to support AI and robotics startups. Beijing is also set to host the inaugural World Humanoid Robot Games from August 14 to 17. Teams from over 20 countries will compete in events that include track and field, dance, and football.