SAEDNEWS: In China, Police Robots Take Over Traffic Control on Shanghai’s Streets
According to the technology desk of the Saed News Agency, a humanoid robot dressed in a police uniform was deployed at a busy intersection in Shanghai’s crowded Huangpu district, drawing the attention of drivers and pedestrians.
During the trial demonstration, the robot — wearing an oversized helmet and a high-visibility uniform equipped with LED lights and reflective yellow fabric — issued loud verbal instructions such as “The light is red, please stop,” while using hand gestures to guide pedestrian movement.
The robot’s voice commands and gestures are modeled on the traditional traffic-control methods used by Chinese police officers.
The robot, nicknamed “Xiao Hu,” meaning “Little Tiger,” is currently in a testing phase and has not yet been officially integrated into the traffic management system.
In addition to directing traffic, the robot can provide pedestrians with directions and answer basic questions about traffic regulations.
Development of the robot took four years, and it remains in the experimental stage. However, officials have expressed hope that in the future such robots could be used in place of human officers in high-traffic areas or during major public events.
