e-magazine
The Hot Zone
China's newly announced air defense identification zone over the East China Sea aims to shore up national security
Current Issue
Table of Contents
Editor's Desk
Previous Issues
Business Category
Subscribe Now >>
Expert's View
World
Nation
Business
Finance
Market Watch
Legal-Ease
North American Report
Forum
Government Documents
Arts & Culture
Expat's Eye
Health
Science/Technology
Lifestyle
Books
Movies
Backgrounders
Special
Photo Gallery
Blogs
image
Reader's Service
E-mail us
RSS Feeds
PDF Edition
Web-magazine
Reader's Letters
Make Beijing Review your homepage
Hot Links

cheap eyeglasses
Market Avenue
eBeijing

Special> Video> Beijing Review Exclusive
UPDATED: February 11, 2009 Web Exclusive
Crazy for Robots
A self-educated Beijing peasant has made 33 robots in his tiny yard in the past 20 years
By CHEN RAN

There is a room in Wu's house to restore his robot children (SHI GANG) 

Wu's priorities have changed, too. "I have to deal with life pressures, for I am not a teenager anymore. I have to raise my family," he said.

He sold Super Wu No.5, upgraded from the chore assistant Wu No.5, for 30,000 yuan (about $4,000) to get out of debt. "Super Wu No.5 had two bionic hands that were able to serve tea, write and even play the erhu (a two-stringed fiddle and Chinese traditional musical instrument). It took me two months to make his hands," he said proudly.

Fame broadened Wu's horizons and provided him more work opportunities. In 2007, he signed a contract with a cleaning company in east Zhejiang Province to invent a robot that could clean office building exteriors. But the weather and work pressure in Zhejiang affected Wu's health and he eventually quit.

Wu has won fame through countless media reports, but his life is as simple as before. His idea of making 12 Chinese Zodiac robots remains in draft form due to lack of money; likewise, the robot-making class Wu designed for elementary and middle school students was postponed. Frequent media interviews disturb his schedule and he slips into depression when the pressure grows. But Wu said he will continue making robots and is currently working with two companies. When his son finishes university, Wu hopes they can start a company.

Uncommon romance

"Our life is full of fear, danger, bitterness and tiredness, rather than romance," Wu's wife Dong Shuyan told Beijing Review. "All he cares about is his robots; his love for them is much more than for us."

Since Wu began making robots, the family has frequently gone into debt. Worse still, injuries have sent Wu to the hospital several times; the worst burning incident put him in the hospital for two weeks.

But Wu's love for Dong is more than he can say. He has made various items, from cradles to swivel chairs, for the children at Dong's kindergarten. The blackboard-like machine he made combines the basic Chinese alphabet on the left side and basic math on the right--attracting the children's interest and saving Dong from cleaning the blackboard.

The biggest challenge for their marriage came on June 19, 1999, when Wu's carelessness caused a fire that burned down their house and all their belongings. A despairing Dong took their two teenage sons and left home, contemplating a divorce. Wu felt guilty, promised to stop making robots and immediately borrowed 90,000 yuan (about $11,200) to rebuild the house. Dong changed her mind after Wu groveled.

"He was petulant and unhappy for the first few days. I was sad to see that he had changed into another person," Dong recalled. "His eccentricity scared me. It was obvious that it would be impossible for him to abandon robot making. So I told him he could do whatever he wanted as long as it made him happy.

"It was a relief to see him return to normal again," Dong smiled. "He even promised to make a housekeeper robot for me, which I thought was a joke."

Dong was excited and moved to tears when robot Wu No.5 washed a plate in the kitchen a few months later. "I was proud of him at that moment," she said.

"He doesn't smoke, drink or play cards; his only hobby is making robots. I used to complain that he was a workaholic--working 24 hours a day without eating or resting," Dong said. "But I am truly gratified to see his success."

   Previous   1   2  


 
 

 
Latest Videos more
China's First English-Language Newspaper Readable via Computer
Chinese Courts Launch Weibo Trial Updates
China to Launch Chang'e-3 Lunar Probe in Early December
Premier Li Keqiang Visits Romania
Top Story
-Protecting Ocean Rights
-Partners in Defense
-Fighting HIV+'s Stigma
-HIV: Privacy VS. Protection
-Setting the Tone
More Beijing Review Exclusive
-Dream a Little Dream
-The Life-Changing Symphony
-Blue Bike Invasion
-Enjoy Your Roast Duck
-Crafty Ideas in Box
-Show and Tell
-Australia Reaches Out to Asia
Most Popular
Useful Links: CHINAFRICAChina.org.cnCHINATODAYChina PictorialPeople's Daily OnlineWomen of ChinaXinhua News AgencyChina Daily
CCTVChina Tibet OnlineChina Radio Internationalgb timesChina Job.comEastdayBeijing TravelCCNStudy in China
About BEIJINGREVIEW | About beijingreview.com | Rss Feeds | Contact us | Advertising | Subscribe & Service | Make Beijing Review your homepage
Copyright Beijing Review All right reserved