Humanoid robots have become a technology showcase for China, and some sectors are already using them operationally. In Hangzhou, the company SUPCON Information has placed several robots to direct traffic, waving their arms and detecting whether motorcyclists are wearing helmets, according to Reuters.
SUPCON's T2 robot stands 1.88 metres tall, weighs 98 kilograms and is equipped with cameras, radars and computing systems to identify infractions in real time, from drivers without helmets to vehicles stopped on crosswalks or pedestrians crossing at red lights. Its seven-jointed arms replicated the gestures of a human traffic officer, synchronised with traffic light cycles, explained Cao Hui, director of SUPCON's intelligent autonomous systems division.
The company said it tested the machines for thousands of hours in rain, heat and peak congestion times, placing the accuracy of infraction recognition above 95 per cent. According to Reuters, since May, nearly 15 units have recorded more than 170,000 warnings in Hangzhou, and SUPCON said that monthly cases of driving without a helmet and crosswalk violations fell by more than 40 per cent. However, Reuters noted that these figures come from the manufacturer and have not been verified by third parties.
When the robots detect an infraction, they do not issue a fine on the spot but instead record the incident and send it to a notification centre managed by human personnel, who determine the next steps. The robots operate on fixed shifts, approximately from 7:00 to 18:00 hours, moving between predefined positions from a central platform, said Cao.
SUPCON has approximately 50 robots active in eight cities across three provinces and expects to reach nearly 200 by the end of the year, Reuters reported. Robotics company AiMOGA, backed by car manufacturer Chery, sees potential to export police robots to the Middle East and Southeast Asia. However, executive Zhang Guibing noted that exporting a police robot is more complex than exporting a vehicle, as each unit would need to connect to local computer systems, obtain certifications and comply with data protection regulations.
