Smart robots report for service

After industrial robots, domestic machines for professional, personal use materialize as labor costs rise in China's aging society

Security officer AnBot, on patrol at the Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport, stands out from other security officers at the scene. They are tall - and cool. In contrast, AnBot is just 1.5 meters in height and portly, oval-shaped. But it's AnBot that attracts fliers' and others' attention. AnBot is no ordinary security officer. It is China's first "robot cop", pressed into service in August.

The smart machine can move on wheels at a maximum speed of 18 kilometers per hour. Equipped with four cameras, it can automatically map the best routes for itself to move, communicate with people, recognize and track faces. When its battery is about to die, it can find the nearest charging pile to recharge itself, which enables it to patrol nonstop for eight hours.