BEIJING (Reuters) - A Chinese farmer has been forced to sell his beloved home-made robots to pay off debts after his house burnt down, state media reported on Friday.
All 25 robots are made of wire, metal, screws and nails found in rubbish sites, with some able to serve tea, light cigarettes and push rickshaws, the China Daily newspaper said.
Wu Yulu, 44, from Mawu village in eastern Beijing, sold one robot for 30,000 yuan ($3,750).
"I couldn't sleep for several days after selling the child, but I had no other choice. I had to pay off my debts," Wu was quoted as saying.
"I love to play with robots. The cleverer they became, the deeper the emotional link I felt to them. Later, I began to call them my sons."
Wu now plans to build new robots to help repay his debt.
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