Robocops hit Chinese city streets

CHENGDU, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Robot police have officially been deployed in southwest China's Chengdu, one of the country's top tourist cities, as part of its smart policing initiative in the lead-up to the 2025 World Games in this city in August.

At Tianfu Square, the city's busiest public space with daily foot traffic of up to 100,000 people, five Robocop officers have begun routine patrols alongside human police. Working in pairs and rotating every two to three hours, they can send real-time footage and alerts to command centers to assist nearby officers.

The robots, which include quadruped robots, wheeled robots and humanoid robots, have been undergoing real-world testing since June 16. These trials are designed to improve their operational algorithms in authentic urban environments and adaptability for complex scenarios.

One humanoid robot has drawn special attention from the public. It waves its arms in sync with traffic lights to guide vehicles and pedestrians, serving as a futuristic presence in this city in Sichuan Province.

Equipped with autonomous navigation, intelligent obstacle avoidance, real-time audio-video streaming and remote communication capabilities, these Robocop officers assist with policing duties, serve tourists and manage traffic. They can also return to their charging docks automatically, enabling round-the-clock functionality.

"Robocops can operate overnight and reach high-risk or narrow areas that human officers may not easily access. They can carry up to 20 kilograms of gear, which is a big help to us," said Zhang Lihang, deputy director of the technology and informatization department of the Chengdu Public Security Bureau. "Despite temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius and light rain this week, the Robocops performed their duties smoothly."

"If tourists suffer from heatstroke and fall, the Robocops can detect it in a timely manner and call for rescue," he added.

"We continuously iterate our algorithms in real-world deployments to enhance the Robocops' environmental perception and motion control capabilities. At present, our wheeled robots demonstrate outstanding performance in speed regulation and stable video transmission," said Xu Qin, head of the robotics division at the Chengdu Humanoid Robot Innovation Center and a co-developer of the Robocops.

Chengdu's Robocop program reflects China's broader efforts to accelerate the embodied intelligence industry and advance new productive forces. Cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Hangzhou are also conducting pilot programs and real-world trials.

Industry estimates suggest that China's embodied intelligence market exceeded 480 billion yuan (about 66 billion U.S. dollars) in 2024. With continued advances in large language models, this market is expected to surpass 1 trillion yuan by 2031. ■