Commercial use of robots growing rapidly in China

Insight

The latest report from the International Federation of Robotics says China will have more robots operating in its production plants by 2017 than any other country. This comes as the country’s car and electronics factories are becoming increasingly automated. CCTV’s Wu Lei visited one of the largest robot manufacturers in South China’s Guangdong province for an inside look.

Highlights:

  • The International Federation of Robotics estimates that China is on course to having the most robots in world by 2017.
  • The industrial robot market in China is showing promising signs as workers get replaced due to higher labor costs.

Robotics professor Chris Atkeson talks about the robot in Big Hero 6

The following is an interview with the researcher who, in part, inspired the Disney movie “Big Hero 6.” The movie is about friendship between a giant inflatable robot and the boy helping to improve him. Perhaps one of the biggest keys to the movie is the unique design of that robot, named Baymax. His shape was based on some of the work of Chris Atkeson, a robotics professor at Carnegie Mellon University.