China introduces humanoid traffic robot to manage busy intersections in cities
SMRTR summary
A six-foot-tall humanoid robot now stands guard at one of Hangzhou's busiest intersections, complete with the ability to blow a digital whistle and wag its finger at jaywalkers. Hangxing No. 1 has taken up residence at Binsheng Road and Changhe Road in China's tech hub, where it directs traffic flow among nearly 12 million residents while keeping a watchful eye on rule-breakers.
The AI-powered officer mimics real police gestures and issues polite voice warnings when it spots violations like helmet-less riders or pedestrians crossing against lights. Its cameras feed live images into an AI system that logs infractions directly to police databases, though a human officer stays nearby during these early trials.
The robot operates on swappable batteries for 6 to 8 hours before returning to its charging dock autonomously. Engineers continue refining its judgment after early October tests revealed the system occasionally mistook shadows and wind for traffic violations.
SMRTR provides this summary for quick context. The original article belongs to Interesting Engineering.
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