China’s robotics industry has fallen behind targets set out by Beijing in a plan to upgrade the industrial sector, despite production surging 19.1 per cent last year, research shows.

China buys and builds more industrial robots than any country, but its market is still dominated by Japanese companies, followed by manufacturers from Europe and South Korea, according to data from Shenzhen Gaogong Industry Research (GGII).

Robots produced by Chinese companies made up about 39 per cent of the domestic market last year, while Chinese computer chips were used in 45 per cent of locally-made machines, up from 12 per cent in 2016, according to the market research firm.

Beijing’s “Made in China 2025” plan, a strategy to upgrade the nation’s industrial sector and cut reliance on foreign technology, set a target for local robot manufacturers to supply half of the domestic market by 2020 and 70 per cent by 2025, by which time local robotics systems should be “perfected” to compete with global rivals.

https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3122430/chinas-robotics-revolution-falls-behind-target-technology

Historic Building moved with robotic walking legs

CNN:

Workers had to first dig around the building to install the 198 mobile supports in the spaces underneath, Lan explained. After the pillars of the building were truncated, the robotic "legs" were then extended upward, lifting the building before moving forward. Over the course of 18 days, the building was rotated 21 degrees and moved 62 meters (203 feet) away to its new location. The relocation was completed on October 15, with the old school building set to become a center for heritage protection and cultural education

https://www.cnn.com/style/article/shanghai-relocate-building-preservation-intl-hnk-scli/index.html

FULLY Automated Car FACTORY Tour in MEGACITY Chongqing

Worldwide industrial robots installation reached only 421,000 units in 2019, slightly lower than 2018's 422,000 units, marking the first on-year drop in seven years, according to figures from International Federation of Robotics (IFR).

Japan-based Fanuc, a top-4 robots brand worldwide, saw its six-month revenues ended September 30, 2019, slip 24.4% on year with net income also dropping 50.8% on year. Another top-4 robots brand Yaskawa also reported a 14.7% on-year decline for its six-month revenues ended on August 31, 2019 with its operating profits dipping 58.2% on year.

This is how capitalism work - until live ":robots" are available cheaper they'll stop any progressive movement.

@jleo

Customs thing is similar to patents in modern world. Mostly it feeds parasites.

Alibaba opens AI 'future hotel'

Chinese Internet giant Alibaba on Tuesday opened a hotel loaded with artificial intelligence (AI) and robots, automating a series of procedures like check-in, lights control and room service. FlyZoo Hotel, opened in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, where Alibaba is headquartered, is known as the company's first "future hotel".

Customers can check into the hotel by simply scanning their faces. The facial recognition system installed in the hotel also enables customers to use their faces as key cards to open doors and access other hotel services.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/3d3d414d7741444e31457a6333566d54/share_p.html?fbclid=IwAR2qhIFwWqn2vNXokg9kHJ6r9sL7WjMkX48sx7iry2wgpROzuO_hioStwko

JD com progress

China-based online shopping operator JD.com began using over 20 smart self-driving robots to deliver merchandise items to purchasers in the Beijing area in late June 2018, according to China-based news reports.

Robots have pre-set route planning and will send messages to purchasers to pick up the items once they arrive at the destinations, the reports said, adding customer identity verification is done via facial recognition or keying in of codes.

JD.com has also employed heavy-duty drones to transport items to destinations around China in 24 hours, and such drones have payloads of 1-5 tons and flying endurance of over 1,000km.

Chine Post added 300 sorting robots this month

China produced 72,400 industrial robots in 2016 and 35,073 units in January-April 2017, increasing 34.3% and 51.7% on year respectively, Forward Business and Intelligence said, adding 34,000 locally produced industrial robots were sold in the China market in 2016 and the sales volume in 2017 is expected to increase to 43,000 units.

China was the world's largest industrial robot market from 2013 to 2016, with global market share rising from 20% in 2013 to 25% in 2014 and to 33.3% in 2016.

Results of 2016. Manufacturing robots production increase in 2016 was 34,3% in China. 2017 must be even better.

Automation is best solution to lower labor and land costs, says Kenmec chairman.

Hsieh pointed out that compared to those in the past, the automated production lines now have seen dramatic improvements. Robotic arms, instead of just making simple movements, now also feature visibility and computing capability.