In China, robots are increasingly becoming a part of daily life as the country rapidly adopts embodied artificial intelligence. These robots are taking on tasks ranging from home cleaning and traffic management to equipment repair in hazardous factory environments. Embodied AI involves artificial intelligence integrated into physical machines, enabling them to perceive their surroundings, make decisions, and operate in the real world.
A new cleaning service, introduced in March on the Chinese classifieds platform 58.com, combines a human cleaner with a wheeled robot and an on-site engineer. The robot, developed by Shenzhen-based start-up X Square Robot, stands about 1.5 meters tall and features mechanical arms with gripping claws. Supported by major tech companies like ByteDance, Xiaomi, and Alibaba, the robot assists in repetitive tasks such as wiping tables and cleaning floors, while the human cleaner focuses on more challenging areas. A typical three-hour session costs 149 yuan (US$22), comparable to a standard human-only service.
Additionally, humanoid traffic police robots have been deployed in Hangzhou, a tech hub in China, highlighting the expanding role of robots in public life.
