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We've all got a little carried away at the shops and wished we had an extra pair of hands to help carry the bags.

But how about eight humanoid robots dressed as maids who could assist with the load?

That's what this wealthy Chinese tycoon decided to do when he was spotted out and about with the bizarre entourage last week.

The middle-aged man turned plenty of heads when he took the human-like machines with him as he shopped in a mall in Guangzhou, China.

Photographs showed the robots carrying - along with his selection of designer shopping bags - the businessman's water, coat and towel.

(Image: CEN)

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They could be seen waiting patiently for him while he shopped for gold in a jewellery store before patiently following behind him when he left.

The robot servants could also be seen standing around holding his belongings while he enjoyed a drink at a cafe.

But the unnamed tycoon has been blasted by the Chinese media, who described him as a "tuhao" which is a slang word to describe someone who got rich overnight but has no taste.

Humanoid robots are become increasingly popular in China as the first restaurant to use robot waiting staff opening in in Guiyang City, Guizhou, on Monday.

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(Image: CEN)

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Meanwhile a humanoid obsessive man in Hong Kong has recently built realistic female robot from scratch that bears a striking resemblance to Avengers star Scarlett Johansson .

Ricky Ma, a 42-year-old product and graphic designer, has spent more than $50,000 (£34,000) and a year and a half creating the female robot prototype , Mark 1.

The designer confirmed the scarily lifelike humanoid had been modelled on a Hollywood star, but wanted to keep her name under wraps.

It responds to a set of programmed verbal commands spoken into a microphone and has moving facial expressions, but Ricky says creating it wasn't easy.

He said he was not aware of anyone else in Hong Kong building humanoid robots as a hobby and that few in the city understood his ambition.