When it comes to futuristic androids, Asia’s got the scene on lockdown, especially China, Japan, and Korea. Right now, the World Robot Exhibition in Beijing is being held from November 23 to 25. Here are some scenes from the show, as well as what our electronic, bipedal friends will look like in the near future.


Soccer-playing robots. Humanoid robots that move and talk like humans are becoming more common in East Asia, with examples like Pepper leading the way.


Robots like this one are designed to live and work alongside humans, not necessarily replace them. In Japan, robotic staff is beginning to fill shops, hotels, and even airports and can complement human workers by doing tasks they can’t or won’t do, like lifting very heavy objects.

Painting robots, like the one seen above, are also becoming more common. One of the challenges for roboticists is engineering robots that can not only store and recall lots of data and solve logical problems, but to also grant robots adaptive learning that allows them creativity and to adapt to changing situations on the fly.




Some newer robots in China, maybe like this dancing one seen here, have been known to look like they’re some kind of comic book superhero—or villain.


Japanese android Geminoid F also made an appearance. She’s the robotic actress with her own IMDb page that’s starring a new movie that debuted in Tokyo earlier this fall. Credit: Hong Kong Free Press YouTube.


Like Pepper, this puppy can sense your emotions by reading your facial expressions, and can even tell if you’re a man or a woman, your age, how happy you are, and can copy your actions. It’s apparently designed to be used as an events host or emcee.


[Via BBC]

All images from ChinaFotoPress through Getty Images, or via Hong Kong Free Press YouTube.


Email the author at bryan@gizmodo.com, or follow him on Twitter.