Bird-Like Robot Flies at Chinese Robot Exhibition

Billboard illustrating humanoid robots at 2018 China International Robot Show in Shanghai. Reuters
Billboard illustrating humanoid robots at 2018 China International Robot Show in Shanghai. Reuters
TT

Bird-Like Robot Flies at Chinese Robot Exhibition

Billboard illustrating humanoid robots at 2018 China International Robot Show in Shanghai. Reuters
Billboard illustrating humanoid robots at 2018 China International Robot Show in Shanghai. Reuters

During an international robot conference in China, many tech companies have showcased their newest creations including a bird-like robot that can actually fly.

The robotic flying bird, inspired by a herring gull and created by German automation firm Festo, is able to take off, fly and land using its own power. It also uses GPS navigation and a remote camera to achieve semi-autonomous flight.

The lightweight robot is made of material weighing around 400 grams. Another eye-catching exhibit was a service robot with two legs capable of both walking and wheeling, reported Reuters.

Chief Marketing Officer Zhao Botao said they named the robot "Nezha", a popular character in traditional Chinese folklore who is able to fly around using his wind fire wheels.

It was the first time this robot was shown to the public and Zhao believed that it could drive further development of service robots' legs in the future to boost safety and efficiency.

Visitors were also fascinated by robotic arms that can be used for picking and placing different objects, as well as robot that can draw portraits for people in no more than five minutes. China is one of the largest markets for service and industrial robots with a growing demand for various kinds of products.



Chinese AI Startup DeepSeek Overtakes ChatGPT on Apple App Store

ChatGPT logo is seen in this illustration taken, January 22, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
ChatGPT logo is seen in this illustration taken, January 22, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
TT

Chinese AI Startup DeepSeek Overtakes ChatGPT on Apple App Store

ChatGPT logo is seen in this illustration taken, January 22, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
ChatGPT logo is seen in this illustration taken, January 22, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

Chinese startup DeepSeek's AI Assistant on Monday overtook rival ChatGPT to become the top-rated free application available on Apple's App Store in the United States.

Powered by the DeepSeek-V3 model, which its creators say "tops the leaderboard among open-source models and rivals the most advanced closed-source models globally", the artificial intelligence application has surged in popularity among US users since it was released on Jan. 10, according to app data research firm Sensor Tower.

The milestone highlights how DeepSeek has left a deep impression on Silicon Valley, upending widely held views about US primacy in AI and the effectiveness of Washington's export controls targeting China's advanced chip and AI capabilities, Reuters reported.

AI models from ChatGPT to DeepSeek require advanced chips to power their training. The Biden administration has since 2021 widened the scope of bans designed to stop these chips from being exported to China and used to train Chinese firms' AI models.

However, DeepSeek researchers wrote in a paper last month that the DeepSeek-V3 used Nvidia's H800 chips for training, spending less than $6 million.

Although this detail has since been disputed, the claim that the chips used were less powerful than the most advanced Nvidia products Washington has sought to keep out of China, as well as the relatively cheap training costs, has prompted US tech executives to question the effectiveness of tech export controls.

Little is known about the company behind DeepSeek, a small Hangzhou-based startup founded in 2023, when search engine giant Baidu released the first Chinese AI large-language model.

Since then, dozens of Chinese tech companies large and small have released their own AI models, but DeepSeek is the first to be praised by the US tech industry as matching or even surpassing the performance of cutting-edge US models.