Shanghai robotics hub hosts public 'carnival' showcasing 100+ companies' bots
A robotics industrial cluster in Shanghai that houses over 100 companies opened its doors for a carnival-style event where visitors could watch quadrupedal robots climb stairs, remote-controlled bots duel with water beads, and humanoid machines perform tasks like brewing coffee and folding laundry. DexForce and other firms used the event to let families interact directly with their technology.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
China is aggressively promoting humanoid and specialized robotics as both an industrial priority and a public-facing spectacle, using events like this to build consumer familiarity and demand ahead of commercial deployment. The mix of playful demonstrations and practical applications signals how robotics firms are trying to normalize automation for everyday life, not just factories.
- Shanghai's robotics cluster brings together 100+ firms building bots for tasks like hauling loads and pipe inspection.
- Public demonstrations included robotic dogs, stair-climbing quadrupeds, and combat-style robot duels for entertainment.
- Humanoid robots from companies like DexForce are being positioned to handle chores such as coffee-making and folding clothes.
Unitree Go2 robot dog — The article's crowd-pleasing quadrupeds have a consumer counterpart: Unitree's Go2 robot dog, which walks, trots, and climbs stairs just like the demo bots at the Shanghai carnival. It's one of the few ways to get a genuine legged robot from a leading Chinese robotics maker into your own living room.
See Unitree Go2 robot dog on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: technologyreview.com — You Xiaoying, 2026-08-25
Published there as: “I spent a day at a robot “carnival” in Shanghai. Here’s what I saw.”
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