The Asian Games in Hangzhou has provided a stage for local Big Tech firms and start-ups alike to showcase their latest gadgets and services, offering a window into China's technological ambitions.

At the Smart Technology Experience Centre of the Asian Games Village in Hangzhou, visitors are greeted by three robot dogs lined up in a row and dancing to the event's theme song, The Love We Share.

The four-legged robotic canines, developed by home-grown start-up Deep Robotics, are among a bevy of innovations that the host city, the capital of eastern Zhejiang province, has hand-picked to demonstrate its tech inventions.

At the Games opening ceremony at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium, also dubbed the Big Lotus for its resemblance to the flowers that bloom at the city's scenic West Lake every summer, virtual reality and artificial intelligence (AI) were prominently featured - including a digital fireworks show that could only be viewed on smartphones, computers and televisions.

Deep Robotics' robot dogs danced to piano music at the Asian Games Village in Hangzhou. Photo: Handout

For local tech firms, the event, which opened on September 23 and will conclude on October 8, serves as a golden opportunity for them to show support for a key state project.

For Deep Robotics, the Games provides a high-profile platform for the start-up to demonstrate the usefulness of its robot dogs: since April, its latest X20 models have been tasked with conducting daily inspections at underground electricity substations.

A Deep Robotics quadruped robot inspects an electrical supply facility at the Asian Games. 

"Our robots can take over dangerous, repetitive and boring work," said Qian Xiaoyu, marketing director at Deep Robotics.

"In the past, people might have had the impression that Hangzhou was China's 'internet capital', but through the Asian Games, we want to show that there are actually quite a few hi-tech companies [in the city], especially robotics companies," said Qian.

Source South China Morning Post