Al Jazeera's Katrina Yu comes face-to-face with the latest in robot technology.

The vast majority of robots have never made it out of their laboratories, but there were plenty of signs in 2023 that robots are beginning to have their moment in the sun. These photos showcase some of the most eye-catching machines from the past year, and also tell the story of a class of technology that is becoming increasingly visible in everyday life. Boston Dynamics' robot dog Spot, first seen in 2016, may seem old hat, but its real-world applications have grown since it became commercially available in 2019. The New York Police Department has bought two Spot robots, to be deployed in situations that present a high danger to humans, while e-commerce giant Otto Group has employed the robots in its warehouses for equipment inspections. This year, Spot could also be seen removing a model's jacket as part of a Paris Fashion Week show.

From the creepy to the downright bizarre, the world's most ingenuous robotic creations are on display at the eighth World Robot Conference in China this week. The annual event, a platform for promoting business in the robotics sector, is taking place at Beijing's Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center. Among the machines on show are realistic humanoids with synthetic skin, four legged'dogs' and hospitality robots serving customers food and drink. Meanwhile, agile robotic arms with multiple joints for use in factories show off their abilities amid local concerns of machines taking over human's jobs. Among the Chinese public there's been a growing sense of unease about the reliance of technology for public-facing roles that used to be taken by humans.

Hundreds of robots used for a variety of functions, including one that looks like Albert Einstein and another that swabs for COVID-19, were on display at the World Robot Conference in Beijing, China.

In your life, do you waste a lot of time because you don't understand garbage classification? Are you distressed because you can't cook? Are you worried about your cats and puppies and you can't work at ease? Don't worry, robot friends will help you solve these problems. The 2021 World Robotics Conference was held in Beijing from September 10th to 13th. With the theme of "Sharing New Achievements, Injecting New Kinetic Energy" as the theme, it attracted more than 110 companies and more than 500 products to participate in the exhibition.

Cutting-edge robots are on display at the 2019 World Robot Conference in Beijing, running from August 20 to 25, are expected to attract nearly 200 guests from 22 countries. The conference features a series of exhibition areas for new robotic technologies and products - including medical, multi-legged, and smart logistics - as well as four contests with an anticipated 4,500 professional participants. Over 700 robots specialising with more than 21 industrial applications will be exhibited between now and the close of the conference. Among those exhibiting will be HRG Robotics, whose, president Wang Meng, said: 'We will be showcasing a string of successful companies which have got off the ground through the help of HRG, alongside our representative products at WRC 2019, as we aim to form new partnerships with companies around the world.' Also on display will be SmartBird, created by German firm Festo, whose design was inspired by the herring gull and whose flight mimics that of the bird. The ultralight flying drone was created with the best aerodynamics and maximum agility in mind and it is able to take off, fly and land under its own power.

A child reacts as she tries out a robotic Padbot T2 at an exhibitor booth during the World Robot Conference at the Yichuang International Conference and Exhibition Centre in Beijing. The annual conference is a showcase of China's burgeoning robot industry ranging from companion robots to those deployed on manufacturing assembly line and entertainment.

The latest generation of artificially intelligent robots took centre stage recently at the 2016 World Robot Conference held in the Chinese capital Beijing. But one of the stand out devices was a robot that can actually understand the intricacies of the human brain, and how a human thinks. Xiao I has the ability to analyse human languages as well as a huge amount of data, and can assemble the functions of a human brain. The advanced robot can understand and act on user's instructions by analysing the specific context, thanks to its massive database which has accumulated information concerning daily life and industries for decades, according to an exhibitor at the Xiao I booth. "The top four companies representing the best human-computer interaction technology were voted for at a summit in Orlando the day before yesterday. Xiao I ranks as the top one, and others include Apple's Siri, Microsoft's Cortana and Amazon's Echo," said the exhibitor.

The robots that think: China's most advanced assistants go on show Artificially intelligent robots can now understand the way humans think. Pictured above, a child shouts at the companion robot'Canbot,' also on display at the World Robot Conference Above, a woman demonstrates the ability of Baxter, an industrial robot from U.S. company Rethink Robotics, to follow her hand movements Dubbed the'robot goddess', Jia Jia is being taught deep learning abilities, including understanding human language, and detecting facial expressions. When asked by an audience-member'What kind of skills do you have?', Jia Jia replied: 'I can talk with you. I can identify gender and age of people standing front of me, and I can detect your facial expressions' The humanoid robot is programmed to recognise human and machine interaction, with autonomous position navigation and services based on cloud technology.

With long flowing hair and rosy red cheeks, you might do a double take when you see Jia Jia, a humanoid robot. Dubbed the'robot goddess', Jia Jia is being taught deep learning abilities, including understanding human language, and detecting facial expressions. The life-like cyborg was displayed at the 2016 World Robot Conference, where she pulled in huge crowds eager to see her abilities. Dubbed the'robot goddess', Jia Jia is being taught deep learning abilities, including understanding human language, and detecting facial expressions. It took a team three years to complete the robot, which can speak, show micro-expressions, move its lips and body, yet seems to hold its head in a submissive manner. The humanoid is programmed to recognize human/machine interaction, has autonomous position and navigation and offers services based on cloud technology.