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-Editorial
Humanoid servers delivering meals with lifelike gestures, robotic bartenders mixing custom drinks, and a 4,000-square-meter “Robot Mall” showcasing medical, industrial, and domestic machines—this was the scene at the E-Town Robot Consumption Festival in Beijing this August. Organized by the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, the event drew thousands of visitors eager to witness the latest advances in robotics and how these innovations are rapidly integrating into everyday life.
One of the most striking displays came from Beijing’s first robot-themed restaurant, where customers are greeted by humanoid staff capable of nodding, speaking, and gliding between tables with plates in hand. A robot band played live music, creating a futuristic dining atmosphere that just a decade ago would have seemed like science fiction. “It’s quite an amazing attempt,” said Ding Wenjun, a tourist from Jiangxi province, smiling as he filmed the scene for friends back home.
The festival also featured the Galbot G1, a wheeled humanoid robot designed to retrieve medications from shelves and deliver them directly to patients. This innovation isn’t just a novelty—it has practical implications for reducing the workload of nurses, cutting operating costs, and lowering the risk of human error in healthcare settings. Over 10 pharmacies in Beijing now operate 24/7 with the help of the Galbot G1, a move that’s improving service and accessibility, especially at night.
At the Robot Mall—a first-of-its-kind “4S store” for robotics—visitors explored more than 50 robot models spanning healthcare, education, manufacturing, and companionship. From exoskeletons that aid mobility to quadruped robots that can navigate rugged terrain, the variety reflected the broad spectrum of current and potential uses. JD.com, one of China’s largest e-commerce platforms, joined the festival by showcasing over 680 robot products online, offering subsidies to make them more affordable for consumers.
According to organizers, the festival achieved impressive results: more than 19,000 robots sold, generating over 200 million yuan in sales. Consumption vouchers and targeted subsidies boosted the total by an additional 60 million yuan, highlighting how incentives can accelerate technology adoption.
While the event celebrated innovation, experts cautioned that most humanoid robots remain in their infancy. “Even though they may stagger while walking, they captivate us because we can sense their intelligence gradually maturing,” said Zhang Hao, chief scientist of ALVA (Beijing) Technology Co. He emphasized that for robotics to become truly mainstream, machines must be practical, affordable, and versatile enough to deliver clear value to consumers.
Massimiliano Zecca, a professor of healthcare technology at Loughborough University, echoed this sentiment. “Humanoid robots now require an engineering team to look after them,” he said. “They need to bring real value to form a natural market.” Yet even he admitted to being charmed by a humanoid coffee barista crafting intricate latte art at the 2025 World Robot Conference, which concluded just days before the festival.
Living in the Future We Once Imagined
Events like the E-Town Robot Consumption Festival remind us that we are no longer waiting for the future—it’s already here, quietly settling into our daily routines. While we may not yet have autonomous androids roaming every street, many of us already live with smart devices, automated checkouts, robotic vacuum cleaners, and AI-driven assistants in our pockets. The leap from a Roomba to a medication-dispensing humanoid may seem big, but the pace of progress suggests that the gap is closing fast.
Only a generation ago, robots were mostly seen in science fiction or high-tech laboratories, often imagined as clunky metallic figures or hyper-advanced AI companions. Today, they are part of our dining experiences, healthcare systems, logistics operations, and even creative industries. The Galbot G1 is just one example of a robot performing tasks that once required human labor—tasks that demand precision, repetition, and endurance, where machines can excel without fatigue.
This shift brings both excitement and questions. Will robots replace certain jobs entirely? How will societies adapt to a workforce that includes both humans and intelligent machines? And most importantly, how will we balance innovation with ethics, ensuring that technology serves humanity rather than the other way around?
For now, the mood at Beijing’s festival was one of curiosity and optimism. Visitors left with videos, gadgets, and the sense that they had glimpsed not just a collection of machines, but a preview of a world that is forming around us in real time.
In many ways, we are already living in that “distant” future once imagined in movies—one where robots don’t just build cars in factories, but serve coffee, entertain guests, assist patients, and deliver medicines at all hours. They may still stumble when walking or require human supervision, but with each upgrade, their capabilities inch closer to the limitless visions of the past.
As the technology improves and costs continue to drop, it’s likely that more of us will soon have direct interactions with robots in daily life—not just as tools, but as integrated parts of our homes, workplaces, and communities. The future we dreamed of isn’t coming—it’s here, and it’s rolling toward us on wheels, serving lattes with a smile.