Robot police have officially started patrolling in Chengdu, a mega-city in southwest China's Sichuan province. This marks an important innovation ahead of the 2025 World Games set to take place in the city from August 7 to 17.

In Tianfu Square — one of the city's busiest areas with daily foot traffic reaching up to 100,000 — five robot police officers have begun routine patrols alongside policemen. Usually grouped in pairs, these robots rotate every two to three hours. They upload real-time footage and alerts to assist the nearby officers.

The robots including quadruped robots, wheeled robots and humanoid robots officially started practical testing on June 16. The main goal is to optimize their operational algorithms in real urban environments, making them more intelligent and flexible to adapt to complex scenarios. For example, a humanoid robot waves its arms in sync with traffic signals to guide vehicles and pedestrians.

Equipped with functions such as autonomous navigation, intelligent obstacle avoidance, real-time audio-video transmission, and remote communication capabilities, the robots can assist in implementing police duties, serving tourists, and managing traffic. They can also autonomously return to charging piles so as to work around the clock.

Robot police can offer great help as they can work overnight, access high-risk or confined spaces difficult for humans, and carry up to 20 kg of gear, according to a police officer from the Chengdu Public Security Bureau. In addition, if a tourist suffers an ailment on the street, they can also detect it in a timely manner and call for rescue services.

The R&D team will continue to refine algorithms through practical operations to improve the robots' environmental perception and motion control, according to a co-developer of the team.