"It's magnificent. It's difficult enough to make one robot play the instrument according to the rhythm, let alone coordinating the performances of four robots," said Wu Hao, a Beijing resident who saw the robot band for the first time. "I can see the great efforts the engineers have put into the robots."

An Longxiang, a staff member with Gree's marketing department, said the robot band is powered by advanced technologies such as flexible mechanical controls and precise algorithms, which have the potential to be used in medical care and other fields.

"The use of robots has expanded from the manufacturing sector to healthcare, service, consumption and other areas. These areas are the future of robots," Qu Daokui, founder of major Chinese robot manufacturer Siasun Robot and Automation Co., Ltd.

Open era

Themed "Intelligent Ecosystem for a New Open Era," this year's WRC is aimed at providing a platform for China and other countries to deepen cooperation in the robotics industry.

In the WRC exhibition center, a robotic surgical system co-developed by Chinese and Swiss scientists, "Ophthorobotics," showcases the latest achievements of international cooperation.

The robot, able to do injection therapy and help treat chronic eye diseases, can finish the injection in two minutes, compared to at least 15 to 20 minutes by an ophthalmologist.

The robot has an iris recognition and eye-tracking system, and can detect the lesion part and locate the best spot to inject, said Bradley J. Nelson, chief technology officer of the project and professor with the Swiss university ETH Zurich.

"The robot will be clinically tested in China and Switzerland in February next year," said Liu Qian, president of Zhongrui Funing Robotics Co., Ltd.

So far, Liu's company has worked with robotics R&D institutions in countries including Sweden, Switzerland, the U.K., Japan, Germany and Italy and has filed 52 patent applications, among which 23 were filed overseas.

Many foreign robotics enterprises have invested and built factories or set up joint ventures in China, and Chinese companies are also looking for overseas partners and exploring the international market, said Xin Guobin, China's vice minister of industry and information technology, at a forum during the conference.

For example, in Beijing's Yizhuang economic development zone, where the WRC exhibition center is located, more than 180 robotics companies have set up operations, including strong foreign players such as Festo and Yaskawa Electric Corporation. There were only 35 in 2016.

Alois C. Knoll, a professor from the Technical University of Munich, said on the sidelines of the WRC that he hoped to see more R&D collaboration between China and other countries as well as further industrial cooperation between Chinese and foreign robotics companies.

"China will continue to make the WRC a bridge, take an active part and push forward cooperation in the robotics industry globally," Xin said. "We will encourage Chinese companies to work together with their foreign counterparts to put more research into application."

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