Chinese exoskeleton robot helps overseas visitor walk again at Canton Fair

A Chinese-developed exoskeleton robot helped an Argentine buyer stand and walk again at the 139th Canton Fair in Guangzhou, capital of South China's Guangdong Province, offering a vivid demonstration of the growing capabilities of Chinese assistive technology.

Maria Laura, who has lost the ability to walk normally, arrived with high expectations for the robotics zone, one of the most popular areas at this year's Canton Fair.

With the help of staff, she slowly rose from her wheelchair and was fitted with the exoskeleton device.

As the crowd cheered, Laura took several slow steps with the robot's assistance, moving one of her companions to tears.

"The experience was great. Maybe it was the lower back that made me feel heavy, but my legs felt very comfortable, it's helpful," said Laura.

"I have a condition called muscular dystrophy, and my muscles are weakening every day, so having leg support is very useful," she said.

Exhibitors said the device Laura tried was a lumbar-support exoskeleton designed to help people with mobility impairments walk more easily.

According to exhibitors, the exoskeleton can detect a user's movement intentions through subtle body movements, using motors to help the legs exert force and move.

Besides exoskeleton robots, a range of Chinese-developed smart products designed for mass production and featuring advanced perception and connectivity -- including AI simultaneous-interpretation glasses, patrol robots and automatic cleaning robots -- also drew strong interest at the event.