Beyond diplomacy: Robots add spark to SCO Summit

While world leaders gather in Tianjin to discuss weighty matters of security and cooperation at the SCO Summit, the real stars of the media centre aren’t diplomats in dark suits — but robots.

From ice-cream vendors with mechanical arms to calligraphy artists wielding brushes with surprising elegance, a fleet of futuristic helpers has turned the media hub into something straight out of science fiction.

At one counter, a robot in a crisp white shell carefully swirled vanilla ice cream into cones, its precision drawing smiles from weary journalists. Nearby, a delivery robot rolled silently across the hall, dodging camera tripods and hurried reporters as it dropped off bottles of water.

Another desk had a resident host — “Xiaohe”, a multimodal interactive robot. Equal parts receptionist and guide, Xiaohe greets visitors with a bow, answers questions and even cracks a joke or two in three languages — English, Mandarin and Russian.

Indian journalists were seen interacting with the humanoids, asking them all kinds of questions, even as the AI robots refused to give them details on any kind of opinionated question.

The showcase wasn’t just about convenience. Engineers also unveiled robots demonstrating high dexterity and tactile precision — one mechanical hand allowed visitors to experience how machines can “feel” through pressure sensors. Another robot sorted packages with uncanny accuracy, relying on visual recognition systems that mimicked human eyesight.

But perhaps the most photographed act came from a calligraphy robot, patiently dipping its brush in ink and tracing out elegant Chinese characters. Its strokes were slow, deliberate and surprisingly graceful — drawing applause from onlookers more accustomed to keyboards than calligraphy scrolls.

For a summit known for heavy talks on geopolitics, trade and security, the robots provided a lighter touch — an unexpected cultural diplomacy. They weren’t just novelties, but a showcase of China’s technological ambition and its knack for mixing hospitality with innovation.