With construction and setup underway across venues for the upcoming China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, an AI-powered inspection robot developed by a local university began patrolling on Wednesday to help keep the work safe and orderly.
The CIIE, one of the world's largest trade fairs, will host its 9th edition from November 5 to 10 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai). Inside a hall, a white robot patrols the venue to conduct safety inspections. Whenever it detects workers without hard hats, improper escalator use, or unauthorized work at heights without safety harnesses, it issues automatic voice reminders and logs the footage and records.
"This robot can support around-the-clock, uninterrupted venue patrols, helping shift our safety management approach from post-incident response to proactive prevention. On its first day on the job, the robot caught more than 10 cases of workers failing to properly wear hard hats," said on-site inspector Tong Yichen.
To ensure on-site safety, the robot is equipped with front and rear bumper bars featuring collision detection. Its advanced algorithms map human skeletal key points in real time to instantly detect slips, falls, and other worker accidents.
Developed independently by the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, the robot can operate anywhere with 4G coverage and supports real-time remote control. It will continue assisting operations throughout the expo.
"When crowds need to be guided and diverted, we can input commands remotely in real time for text and voice reminders, helping keep the event safe and orderly," said Huang Zhongyi, associate professor at the university's Business School.
AI robot takes up safety patrols at CIIE venue
AI robot takes up safety patrols at CIIE venue
