China puts AI ‘robocops’ on traffic duty; one ‘Superman’ robot claims to be faster than Usain Bolt
China is putting robots to work in real-world policing, with a traffic-control machine in Hangzhou now issuing warnings to motorists and pedestrians. Meanwhile, another Chinese robotics firm has unveiled a humanoid machine whose claimed top speed exceeds Usain Bolt’s 100-metre world-record pace.At a busy intersection in Hangzhou, the 1.88-metre, 98-kg T2 robot, developed by SUPCON Information, is being deployed to handle routine traffic-control duties. The machine uses cameras, radar and onboard computing to identify helmetless e-bike riders, passengers on e-bikes, vehicles crossing stop lines and pedestrians violating signals.The robot has no power to arrest and does not carry a gun. Instead, it can issue warnings, answer questions about directions, parking and traffic rules, and connect users with police in emergencies.“The robots can also answer questions about directions, parking and traffic rules,” Cao Hui, head of SUPCON’s intelligent unmanned systems innovation centre, told Reuters. Its seven-jointed arms can reproduce standard traffic-police gestures in sync with traffic signals.SUPCON has deployed 15 robots in Hangzhou since May and says they have issued more than 170,000 warnings. The company also claims monthly cases of helmetless riding and vehicles crossing stop lines have fallen by more than 40 per cent. However, the figures could not be independently verified.Cao said the robots can operate for long periods without fatigue. “It doesn’t get tired,” he told Reuters, adding, “It can work steadily for long periods.”The machines operate autonomously from 7 am to 6 pm, moving between preset positions, while a central platform allows traffic-police teams to monitor and dispatch them.SUPCON says nearly 50 such robots are now operating across about eight cities in three Chinese provinces, with deployments expected to approach 200 by the end of the year.China’s wider robotics push has also produced a viral moment involving Unitree’s new humanoid robot, “Superman”.Unitree said on X that the robot was “Surpassing the standing high jump and running speed records of all humans around the world”. At that speed, its claimed pace would exceed Bolt’s world-record 100-metre average speed if sustained throughout the distance. However, the machine has not actually raced Bolt or broken his official record.Unitree said “Superman” had been developed for just over three months, with scope for further improvements. The company claims the robot can achieve a 2-metre standing high jump and a top speed of 12.66 metres per second, with a leg length of 0.85 metres.However, the performance claims have not been independently verified. Meanwhile, several viral videos circulating online also show the robot crashing into a wall after appearing to lose its direction.As China pushes robots from demonstrations into traffic management and other practical roles, overseas deployment could prove more complicated. AiMOGA executive Zhang Guibing said police robots would need to meet local laws, integrate with law-enforcement systems and comply with certification and data-protection requirements.
