Asian Games 2023: from robot dogs to hot meals vending machines, Chinese tech firms chase new customers in Hangzhou
- The Games is seen as a golden opportunity for tech firms to lend support to a major state event and showcase their inventions to a wider audience
- Hangzhou-based companies from tech giant Alibaba to smaller start-ups like Deep Robotics are all trying to impress visitors at the event
At the Smart Technology Experience Centre of the Asian Games Village in Hangzhou, visitors are greeted by three robot dogs lined up in a row and dancing to the event’s theme song, The Love We Share.
The four-legged robotic canines, developed by home-grown start-up Deep Robotics, are among a bevy of innovations that the host city, the capital of eastern Zhejiang province, has hand-picked to demonstrate its tech inventions.
At the Games opening ceremony at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium, also dubbed the Big Lotus for its resemblance to the flowers that bloom at the city’s scenic West Lake every summer, virtual reality and artificial intelligence (AI) were prominently featured – including a digital fireworks show that could only be viewed on smartphones, computers and televisions.
For local tech firms, the event, which opened on September 23 and will conclude on October 8, serves as a golden opportunity for them to show support for a key state project.