This is the surreal moment a human-robot took its robotic pet dog for a walk in dystopian scenes in China.

A passerby spotted the automated machine holding a leash attached to a robot pet in Shanghai on October 29.

Footage shows the matt black robot holding a tote bag and a leash as it walks alongside the cyber animal, leaving locals baffled by the unusual encounter.

The filmer said: 'It was so entertaining to see those robots. I noticed someone shouting nearby, and I also saw a person holding a computer and operating the machine.

'I never imagined I would be living in a world where robots take their pet dogs for a walk.'

China is in a tech 'arms race' with the West, including Elon Musk in Texas, in the development of robots and automation.

The rivalry between Musk and companies in China comes in areas that many analysts believe will be crucial to the future of manufacturing, consumer technology, and space exploration. Tech firms such as Nvidia that provide the chips needed for the technology have reached intergalactic valuations.

Last month, a robot shark was used in a zoo aquarium at the newly opened Xiaomeisha Ocean World in Shenzhen, Guangdong.

But visitors were unhappy with the makeshift marine creature. The park, which had just opened on October 1, faced backlash for high ticket prices - around 240 yuan (approximately 25.91 GBP) for adults - along with long queues and poor conditions for marine life.

These issues led to a low rating of just 2.9 out of 5 stars on a popular review platform.