I spent a day at a robot “carnival” in Shanghai. Here’s what I saw.

Humanoid robots are having a moment in China, where they are part of a national strategy to integrate artificial intelligence into daily life. Embedding AI into physical systems, known as embodied AI, was a key facet of China's latest five-year plan, and the country already leads the world in humanoids: nearly 90% of the more than 13,000 two-armed, two-legged robots delivered globally last year were made in China.

At a robot 'carnival' held by an R&D center on the outskirts of Shanghai, families explored a hub housing more than 100 robotics companies. Displays included a mini robotic dog performing stunts, a quadrupedal robot walking up stairs, a remote-controlled battle where robots fired water beads, a humanoid making coffee, and robotic arms folding T-shirts. Yang Duan, a product manager at DexForce, noted such machines 'can free people from physical work and mundane chores.'

Despite the momentum, humanoids' progress elsewhere has been slow due to safety challenges from their weight and balance needs, high prices, and short battery life. Many roboticists question whether a human form is ideal, but Chinese firms are pushing forward and showing off models in shopping malls and tourist attractions across several cities, including bipedal robots running in Beijing. Showcases like the carnival are seen as important for letting the public experience robots up close.