Inside the exhibition hall, a staff member marked a path across steel structures with a positioning pen and selected a welding procedure. A robotic arm instantly positioned itself and commenced automated welding operations.

　　According to the company, new operators can master the system in just three minutes. The technology can be widely applied in shipyards, steel-structure workshops and other industrial welding scenarios.

　　Beyond improving efficiency in shipbuilding and construction-component manufacturing, the system relieves workers from harsh operating conditions characterized by intense heat, glaring light and heavy toxic fumes.

　　"The ultimate value of embodied intelligence lies in serving the real economy," said Qiao Zhongliang, Xiaoyubot's founder and CEO.

　　Founded in 2023, the company has focused on industrial applications, particularly intelligent welding, a field with strong market demand. Xiaoyubot will continue to advance industrial embodied intelligence and contribute to the intelligent transformation of manufacturing, Qiao said.

　　As AI technologies advance rapidly, a growing number of Chinese demand-driven innovations are emerging, injecting fresh momentum into the global digital economy.

An exhibitor demonstrates a robotic dog during the Digital Economy Industry Expo 2026 at the China National Convention Center in Beijing, capital of China, July 2, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Chenlin)

　　Across Beijing and many other Chinese cities, robot dogs and AI-powered travel photography services have become popular among children and young adults, reflecting the deepening integration of digital technologies into daily life.