Humanoid robots are now working at busy roads in Chinese cities, directing vehicles and recording violations, while human officers keep the power to issue penalties.

Chinese cities are putting AI-powered robots on their streets to help police manage traffic.

The robots stand at busy junctions in police uniform and make the usual hand signals. Several cities are now testing them.

In Wuhu, in Anhui Province, a robot with the badge “Intelligent Police Unit R001” works alongside the city’s traffic lights. It makes its hand signals in step with the signals, and it uses cameras and a voice system to spot violations by cyclists and pedestrians. When it sees one, it gives a warning on the spot.

Hangzhou has gone further. On May 1, the city’s traffic police put 15 humanoid robots on duty around the West Lake scenic area, just before the Labour Day crowds arrived. Chinese state media described it as the country’s first robot traffic police squad.

Another model, the T2 from the company SUPCON, stands 1.88 metres tall and weighs 98 kg. It uses cameras and radar to detect cyclists without helmets, e-bikes carrying extra passengers and pedestrians who cross on a red signal. SUPCON says nearly 50 of its robots already work in about eight cities across three provinces, and it expects the number to reach about 200 by the end of the year.

One wheeled humanoid model can raise its arms to stop a car, a bicycle or a scooter. It carries six cameras that record everything around it and capture number plates. The footage goes straight to the central police station in real time.

However, the robots do not act as police officers. They do not issue fines, and they do not detain anyone. When a robot spots a violation, it records the event and sends the file to the traffic police bureau, where a human officer decides what happens next.

Officials say the aim is to ease the workload of human officers, especially during rush hour, in bad weather and when roads are disrupted. The robots can also answer simple questions from the public, such as directions and parking rules.

More cities are expected to follow Hangzhou. The robots now in service are, in effect, a field trial of how well the public accepts them.

Some observers note that the machines also collect large amounts of data as they patrol. As the rollout grows, privacy and the handling of that data will be issues to watch.