Robotics boom in sight as key tech evolves and production costs fall

The commercialization of Chinese robotics industry is no longer on the drawing board as a wide range of emerging industries unveiled plans for accelerated application of robots recently, industry insiders said.

Xin Guobin, vice-minister of industry and information technology, said a wide range of new robotic forms have emerged in the country, on the back of breakthroughs in crucial technologies and declining production costs.

"In the future, robots will no longer just be tools to boost productivity but advanced, smart assistants to humans, to drive a new era of intelligent transformation," Xin said.