China is testing humanoid robots for traffic-control work, assigning machines to some of the repetitive tasks normally carried out by police officers. The trial is taking place in Hangzhou, where robots developed by SUPCON Information have been deployed at busy intersections to monitor traffic and remind people about violations.
The machines are not the heavily armed, arrest-capable robots portrayed in the 1987 film “RoboCop.” Instead, they are designed to assist traffic officers. The 1.88-metre (6-foot-2-inch), 98-kg (216-pound) T2 robot operates on wheels and can identify several common traffic violations, including riders travelling without helmets, e-bikes carrying passengers, vehicles stopping beyond marked lines and pedestrians crossing against traffic signals.
The robots use cameras, radar and onboard computing systems to detect such behaviour, according to Cao Hui, head of SUPCON’s intelligent unmanned systems innovation centre. Once a violation is identified, the machine can issue a verbal warning. Its seven-jointed arms can also reproduce standard traffic-police gestures in coordination with traffic lights.
The technology is part of a broader effort in China to move robots away from demonstrations and entertainment and into practical, everyday roles. Beyond traffic enforcement, the machines can provide information about directions, parking and traffic regulations. An emergency feature can also connect members of the public with local police.
SUPCON began deploying the robots in Hangzhou in May and has since placed 15 machines in operation. The company says the robots have delivered more than 170,000 warnings. It also claims that monthly cases involving helmetless riding and vehicles crossing stop lines have fallen by more than 40%.
However, Hangzhou’s traffic police did not respond to a request for comment, and Reuters was unable to independently verify SUPCON’s figures.
According to Cao, the robots have undergone thousands of hours of testing in a variety of environments, including tourist attractions, school zones, commercial areas, rush-hour traffic and poor weather. Although cameras and radar can be affected by conditions such as strong sunlight, rain and extreme temperatures, SUPCON says its system achieves more than 95% accuracy when identifying violations.
Cao said the purpose of the technology is not simply to punish people after traffic rules have been broken. Instead, the robots are intended to provide immediate reminders that could discourage repeated violations. Their ability to operate for long periods without fatigue is another advantage, he said.
The T2 robots work autonomously between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. They travel among pre-programmed positions at intersections without requiring remote control. Traffic-police teams can monitor the machines and send them to different locations through a central management platform.
SUPCON says nearly 50 of its traffic robots are now operating in around eight cities across three Chinese provinces. The company expects that number to rise to almost 200 by the end of the year.
The concept could eventually extend beyond China. AiMOGA, a robotics company backed by Chinese automaker Chery, believes traffic-control robots could find overseas markets, particularly in regions where officers face difficult roadside conditions. High temperatures in the Middle East and lengthy rainy seasons in Southeast Asia could create potential demand for machines capable of performing routine duties without breaks.
Still, exporting such robots would involve challenges that go beyond simply selling the hardware. Zhang Guibing, an executive at AiMOGA, said police robots would have to be integrated with local law-enforcement information-technology systems and meet certification requirements in each market.
Data protection could also become a significant issue because the machines rely on cameras and other sensors to observe their surroundings. Regulations governing the collection and handling of such information differ between countries.
As China expands the use of robots in practical public-service roles, traffic control is emerging as one area where machines can work alongside human officers. For now, however, their responsibilities remain limited to monitoring, guiding and warning rather than making arrests or exercising the full authority of police.
