On March 18, spring tea picking began at tea gardens in Xihu District of Hangzhou. Exoskeleton robots and drones made their debut to assist farmers in picking tea efficiently.

Zhang Jianming, a 65-year-old tea farmer who wears the hip-assisted exoskeleton equipment, feels much more relaxed while walking up the mountain. Drones become the outstanding transporters in tea gardens, responsible for delivering meals up the mountain and carrying the tea down the mountain; they can be loaded with goods weighing 60 kg, which greatly improves the picking efficiency.

The combination of technology and tradition is injecting new vitality into the traditional tea picking industry.