Humanoid robots on the streets, milk tea delivered by drones... Shenzhen, China is ‘in CES mode’ every day - 경향신문

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On the 25th of last month, citizens looked over a variety of robot products at an exhibition hall in the ‘Robot Block’ in Longgang District, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China. Reporter Choi Min-ji

On the afternoon of the 24th of last month, when a humanoid robot appeared at National Talent Park in downtown Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, it drew the attention of passersby out for a walk. Standing 173㎝ tall and weighing 75㎏, the adult man-sized robot is the flagship model ‘T800’ unveiled late last year by the Chinese robot company ‘Engine AI’. To promote ‘URKL’, the world’s first humanoid robot combat league to be held in mid-July in Shenzhen, the company’s representative robot took to the streets itself.

For residents of Shenzhen, ‘China’s Silicon Valley’, cutting-edge technologies such as robots and artificial intelligence (AI) are no longer unfamiliar. They buy humanoid robots at shops inside large malls, and in parks they drink milk tea delivered by unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) instead of by human riders.

‘Robot Block’ in Longgang District, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China. As China’s first robot-focused street, it brings together the entire value chain of the robot industry, from research and development to validation, sales, hands-on experiences, and exhibitions. Reporter Choi Min-ji

China’s first robot-specialized street, ‘Robot Block’, which recently opened in the outlying Longgang District, is speeding the normalization of robots in daily life as it gains popularity among family visitors. Beyond simple displays, its hallmark is that it brings together the entire value chain of the robot industry in one place, from research and development to validation, sales, and hands-on experiences.

When we visited Robot Block on the morning of the 25th of last month, everyone from children out with their parents to white-haired seniors was taking a keen interest in the various robot products. It was no exaggeration to say you could see every type of robot currently in existence. The one playing piano on stage, the ones cleaning the streets, even those playing soccer were all robots. Robots are no longer confined to laboratories; they are accumulating real-world validation data.

It was also notable that products you might expect to see at CES, the world’s largest information technology (IT) show—such as AI-based toys or smart glasses—could be easily tried and purchased as if popping into a convenience store. The smart glasses from the Chinese company ‘Lokid’ displayed in one hall were in fact a product that drew attention when unveiled at CES earlier this year. A device that assesses your health status when you look into a mirror using AI technology was also similar to a Canadian company’s product presented at this year’s CES.

At Robot Block in Shenzhen, China’s first robot-specialized street, you can see a wide variety of robots. Reporter Choi Min-ji

A new product in just a week... Huaqiangbei, the test bed for new releases

The Huaqiang Electronics World building, a landmark of Huaqiangbei in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China. Huaqiangbei, known as the ‘Chinese Yongsan electronics market’, is the world’s largest electronics marketplace. Reporter Choi Min-ji

The power of Shenzhen, the ‘No. 1 IT city’, was also evident in Huaqiangbei. Located in Futian District, Huaqiangbei is the world’s largest ‘Chinese Yongsan electronics market’. In some 20 electronics-specialty mall buildings packed with 110,000 shops, the average daily foot traffic alone reaches one million.

Having begun in the late 1980s as electronic component companies gathered one by one, it has now established itself as a test bed where the latest finished IT products make their very first appearance. Startups in Shenzhen put their experimental new products into Huaqiangbei and make revisions and improvements according to consumer reactions.

When we visited Huaqiangbei on the afternoon of the 24th of last month, there was literally nothing you could not find. Products from AI-enabled smart glasses to rings and toys filled shops little more than one pyeong in size. As astonishing as the variety were the low prices. In a store inside Huaqiang Electronics World, the largest mall in Huaqiangbei, earbud-shaped AI simultaneous interpreters were selling for 190 yuan, at about 42,000 won.

A Huaqiang Electronics World representative said, “Over 1,000 new products are released every week, and a week is enough for a single product to come out,” adding confidently, “If you cannot find a product or part in Huaqiangbei, you will not see it anywhere else.” The buzz recalled the heyday of the Dongdaemun apparel market in the 2000s.

In Huaqiangbei, you can find AI products at low prices. Even the low-end model of Meta’s smart glasses approaches 500,000 won, but here you can get similar products for far less. Haggling, of course, is essential. Reporter Choi Min-ji

On the 25th of last month at an exhibition hall in Shenzhen’s ‘Robot Valley’, a staff member explains the ‘Smart Artificial Intelligence (AI) Classroom’ program. AI manages all students’ learning and grades. Reporter Choi Min-ji

The greater the familiarity with AI technology, the lower the apparent sense of wariness. It was also possible to see technologies that would likely be controversial in Korea being commercialized without much resistance. In an exhibition hall open even to small children, a ‘companion robot’ that reproduced the appearance of an adult woman down to the skin was displayed opposite a cute panda-shaped AI toy for children.

In another exhibition hall at Robot Block, promotion was in full swing for an ‘AI Smart Classroom’ that manages and oversees students’ lives and grades overall using AI. In schools where this program is implemented, administrators can check in real time via cameras not only inside classrooms and hallways but even tucked-away spots such as along walls. A company representative explained, “It is effective for quickly identifying sick students or preventing school violence, so satisfaction is high.”

It was also notable that AI manages each student’s and each class’s learning status and grades and sends this to guardians by message. Asked whether complaints about invasion of privacy are raised, the representative replied.

“A high school in Shenzhen adopted this system for a year, and that year’s Gaokao (China’s version of the college entrance exam) scores were higher than ever. Students who want to raise their grades like it.”