In what would be a step towards the concept of 'embodied artificial intelligence,' China it set to deploy humanoid robots to border crossings that it shares with Vietnam. The humanoid robots are expected to patrol the border frontier as well as do inspections.
China is expected to deploy swathes of humanoid robots to the busy border frontier that it shares with Vietnam. The robots are set to perform border patrol and inspection duties. This marks a step in the concept of 'embodied intelligence' being used in the real world in another effort in public security.
Where the Robots Will Be Deployed
The company behind the creation of the robots, UBTECH Robotics Corp. will be deploying its Walker S2 humanoid robots at the Fanchenggang border crossing in Guangxi, a coastal region near Vietnam. UBTECH secured a contract with the Chinese government worth $37 million (estimated over £27.4 million). Deployment of these robots is expected to take place this month.
At the border crossing, the robots will be assisting border officials in guiding passenger queues, directing vehicles, and answering questions for travellers. Some robot units will be patrolling corridors and waiting areas, blocked exits as well as monitoring crowd patterns to alert human officials in case an intervention is needed.
Other robots, however, are expected to work within cargo lanes and provide support to logistics teams by checking container identification numbers, confirming seals, and relaying status updates to dispatch centres. Another group of robots will also be expected to conduct inspections on steel, copper, and aluminum facilities.
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What is the Walker S2?
The Walker S2 is described as a full-size humanoid robot, and is designed to navigate the spaces made for humans. The robot can autonomously swap its batteries without any human assistance and operate with minimal downtime. There are cameras, depth sensors, and force feedback in their joints to help the robots monitor their surrounding movements.
With this particular combination of hardware and software, the Walker S2 is being positioned by UBTECH as a general purpose worker compared to a robot that is made to do only one task.
China's Push for Broader Use of Humanoid Robots
The timing of the deployment of the Walker S2 robots at the Fanggengchang border crossing follow a previous deployment by UBTECH of robots in factories and data centres across the country this year.
'This isn't just a number, it's proof of real-world value and the accelerating commercialisation of humanoid robots globally!' said the scientists at UBTECH.
The news of the deployment also comes at a time when China is making a broader policy push in the field of humanoid robotics. In 2023, the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology called for a national innovation system for humanoid robots in 2025. The ministry in 2024 with a technical committee drafted industry rules.
Authorities have considered robots as a strategic sector and enlisted company executives to get involved in forming national standards that can govern robot deployments like in Fanggengcheng. Regulators are also expected to monitor the safety, reliability, and accountability throughout this particular trial.
China has also set up a 3000-square metre humanoid robot data training centre in the Shijingshan District to further support this push.
