China's robot traffic cops cannot fine but will politely ask you to wear helmet instead; built to work without any break, they can spot violations through rush hour and poor weather

China has deployed robot traffic police across its cities that cannot issue fines or make arrests but instead flag violations with polite warnings, and are built to operate through rush hour, extreme heat and poor weather without stopping.

At a busy intersection in Hangzhou, in eastern China, a 1.88-metre, 98-kilogram robot developed by local technology firm SUPCON Information watches the road, identifies violations and swings its mechanical arms in sync with traffic signals. It is part of a pilot programme aimed at handing some of the most repetitive traffic-control duties to machines, Reuters reported.

How do China's traffic robots spot violations?


The robot, called the T2, uses cameras, radar and onboard computing to identify a range of traffic violations, Cao Hui, head of SUPCON's intelligent unmanned systems innovation centre, told Reuters.

It can detect e-bike riders without helmets, e-bikes carrying extra passengers, vehicles stopping over marked lines and pedestrians crossing against signals. When it spots a violation, it issues a verbal warning rather than a penalty.

The robots can also answer questions about directions, parking and traffic rules. An emergency function connects users directly with local police. Their seven-jointed arms reproduce standard traffic-police gestures, synchronised with signal changes, Cao said.

Do China's robot traffic cops work in rain and extreme heat?

SUPCON says the machines have been tested for thousands of hours across tourist areas, school zones, business districts, rush-hour traffic and poor weather conditions, Cao told Reuters.

Cameras and radar can still be affected by strong sunlight, rain and temperature extremes, the company acknowledged. However, SUPCON says its violation-recognition accuracy exceeds 95 per cent.

The robots operate autonomously from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., moving between pre-set positions at intersections without remote control. A central platform allows traffic-police teams to monitor and dispatch them.

"It doesn't get tired," Cao told Reuters. "It can work steadily for long periods."

Have China's robot police actually reduced traffic violations?

SUPCON has deployed 15 robots in Hangzhou since May. The company says they have issued more than 170,000 warnings and helped reduce monthly cases of helmetless riding and vehicles crossing stop lines by more than 40 per cent.

Hangzhou's traffic police did not respond to a request for comment, and Reuters said it could not independently verify the figures.

The broader aim, Cao told Reuters, is to replace punishment after a violation with a timely reminder before behaviour becomes habitual.

How many traffic robots does China plan to deploy?

SUPCON says nearly 50 such robots are currently operating across about eight cities in three Chinese provinces. The company expects deployments to approach 200 by the end of 2026.

The traffic robots represent a broader Chinese industry push to move machines beyond exhibition floors and showroom greetings into practical, day-to-day jobs, Reuters noted.

Can China export robot traffic police to other countries?

Chery-backed robotics company AiMOGA sees potential for police robots in overseas markets, particularly in regions where traffic officers face difficult roadside conditions, citing high temperatures in the Middle East and persistent rainy seasons in Southeast Asia, Reuters reported.

However, AiMOGA executive Zhang Guibing told Reuters that deploying them abroad would be more complicated than exporting a car. Police robots would need to integrate with local law-enforcement IT systems, obtain certifications and comply with data-protection rules, particularly because they rely on cameras and sensors that collect footage in public spaces, Zhang said.