Bionic flying bird soars at China robot show

China's fifth annual World Robot Conference opened to the public in Beijing on Thursday, with bionic flying birds, robo-superheroes, and Taiji-playing robots all on show. A robotic flying bird, inspired by a herring gull and created by German automation firm Festo, wowed as it soared over crowds of people. The robot uses lightweight material weighing around 400 grams, and it is able to take off, fly and land using its own power. It also uses GPS navigation and a remote camera to achieve a semi-autonomous flight.