Compared with the SenseRobot's xiangqi model launched last August, which plays Chinese chess, this new robot has seen many technical breakthroughs. Shen Hui, dean of the Innovative Engineering Institute of SenseTime, said it was much harder to develop the Go robot and the previous version has laid a solid foundation.

Shen highlighted the robotic arm. Using cutting-edge visual techniques, algorithms and the company's originally designed arm, the robot can read the board and pick up small chess pieces precisely. Furthermore, the robot is able to reconstruct the scene of playing a real game, Shen said.

Nie Weiping, a Chinese Go master and the vice chairman of the Chinese Weiqi Association, tried the new robot and spoke highly of it. "Modern technology brings unprecedented challenges and opportunities," Nie said. He also noted the SenseRobot will promote the development of Go culture and help the public feel the charm of the game.

"We hope SenseRobot can re-define the future of family robots," said Xu Li, chairman and CEO of SenseTime. "It can not only bring new life experience for families, but also can inject new vitality into the Go game as our cultural treasure, and promote the diverse development of our traditional culture."