“The epidemic made people aware of the
fragility of human beings,” Liu said.
“Robots can make up for this vulnerability and
provide services people can trust,” he said. “Trust
in robots has been enhanced dramatically.”
Robots for use in factories and consumer
industries are near the top of the
ruling Communist Party’s wish list for
technology development.
Chinese leaders see them as a profitable export
and a way to make up for a shrinking workforce
as the population ages.
Beijing has spent heavily to set up robotics
departments at universities and research
institutes. Private sector developers can apply
for research grants and other support.
ZhenRobotics, founded in 2016, does its
research and development in the Chinese