China has made rapid progress in robotic science and technology over the past five years as a result of international cooperation, a renowned expert in the field of robotics and automation has said recently.

Toshio Fukuda, a Japanese professor from China's 1000 Talent Program for High-Level Foreign Experts and a foreign member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, made the remarks in an interview with Xinhua on the sidelines of the 2018 World Robot Conference, a robotics gala held in Beijing from August 15 to 19.

"China's effort in attracting international scientists is paying off. Programs launched by the government to bring foreign researchers to China has led to an exponential development in the country's robotic technology in the last five years," Fukuda said.

He added that the large and ever-growing number of Chinese students studying abroad also helped facilitate technological advancement in the field.

Regarding China's advantages in the application and commercialization of robotic technology, the Japanese professor said that "China is full of power, energy, passion, and financial capability."

Fukuda compared China's southern coastal city of Shenzhen as a "melting pot," where frequent interaction between academics, industry professionals and investors from both China and abroad have resulted in technological innovation.

"There are many cities like Shenzhen in China, and China's robot market is still growing and evolving," he added.

Fukuda and his team are currently working on the improvement of his medical intravascular microsurgery simulator which was commercialized in 2005.

The Japanese professor stressed that the application of medical robots was significant to achieve minimally invasive surgeries. "When operations could be performed with tinier incisions, patients will suffer from less pain during the surgery and recover faster," he said.

Fukuda noted that robots were also useful in educating children and taking care of the elderly. "With the help of robots, our lives as human-beings will be easier and more comfortable," he said.

When asked about whether the widely use of robots would cause massive job losses, Fukuda said that instead of being replaced by robots, people would be able to focus on "more interesting and creative jobs" with the assistance of robots.

Looking into the future of robotics technology, Fukuda stressed that micro-nano robotics and bio-robotics system would be key technologies shaping the new round of technological development, and the field of robotics would become more interdisciplinary.

"I am very optimistic and I think the future is bright," Fukuda said. (Xinhua)