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As robot dogs take to the streets of China, could they ever replicate the companionship of man’s best friend?
- The futuristic robot canines are becoming more common in Chinese streets and on social media
- But they still look like robots, making some wonder if they are too cold to become popular
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Taking the pooch out for its regular walk is one of the great joys and chores of dog ownership. But does it apply if the dog is a robot?
This seemingly futuristic question may no longer be a thing of the past, as robot dogs have started to appear on short video platforms across mainland China, with one video receiving over 700,000 likes.
Wu Xiangyu, a Shanghai resident, is an owner of a robot dog, and walking the canine in his spare time has become a regular routine, he told mainland media outlet Thepaper.cn.
In Shanghai, the Xuhui district riverside is considered a mecca for dog walking and jogging. One day in December 2021, Wu chose to take his robot dog there for a walk for the first time.
Immediately upon its appearance, the robot drew a throng of curious observers. People even brought their dogs to meet the robot canine, wanting to introduce their pets to a “new friend”.
However, Wu said the real dogs seemed warier than their owners, approaching and retreating, furiously barking as if to protect themselves from the unknown.
Yingjie Wang formerly worked as an investigative fellow reporter for NPR affiliate Southern California Public Radio in Los Angeles. She holds a master's degree in journalism from the University of Southern California.
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