Humanoid Robot Joins Traffic Police at Marathon
Meet Hangxing No. 2, a humanoid robot that teamed up with traffic police to guide runners and spectators at the 2026 Hangzhou Marathon.
Imagine walking up to a bustling street corner and spotting a mechanical helper directing the crowd! On Sunday, 1 November 2026, visitors saw a real humanoid robot traffic police assistant at work in the city of Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province, China. The machine teamed up with local traffic police officers during the massive 2026 Hangzhou Marathon to help keep the public safe and orderly.
This clever helper is called Hangxing No. 2. It was created by a Hangzhou-based technology firm named DEEP Robotics, working together with local traffic management authorities. Instead of staying inside a research laboratory, the robot stepped right out onto the pavement to support human officers during one of the city’s biggest sporting events.
What happened?
The Hangzhou Marathon was an enormous event. More than 300,000 people applied to run, and 36,000 runners took part in the big race. With such large crowds gathered along the route, the police had a massive area to watch over.
Hangxing No. 2 is built on DEEP Robotics’ DR02 humanoid platform and stands 178 centimetres tall. To give the police extra support, the robot was stationed across four patrol points around the Huanglong Sports Center. These positions allowed it to cover surveillance blind spots that human officers could not easily monitor.
The machine took on many useful responsibilities during the busy day. It carried out autonomous patrols along the pavements and guided pedestrians at zebra crossings. It also made traffic-control gestures with its arms, broadcast safety advisories through its speakers, and answered questions from curious spectators.
To navigate safely around so many moving people, the robot relies on serious computing power. It is fitted with a 275 TOPS computing unit that acts as its electronic brain. It perceives the world using a high-tech sensor system that includes LiDAR, depth cameras, and wide-angle cameras.
Tough weather was no problem for Hangxing No. 2 either. It has an IP66 weather-protection rating, which means it is completely dust-tight and can easily withstand heavy rain and high-pressure water jets. It is also engineered to work outdoors in extreme conditions, handling temperatures from minus 20 degrees Celsius all the way up to 55 degrees Celsius.
Meng Yuan, a representative from DEEP Robotics, explained that the event was very helpful for testing new technology. Meng Yuan noted that the dense crowds and repetitive tasks of marathons offer an ideal testing ground for standardizing humanoid assistance in public traffic control.
Why does it matter to you?
If you have ever visited a bustling railway station, a cricket stadium, or a colourful festival in an Indian city, you know how busy public places can become. Human traffic police officers often work for long hours in the hot sun, dust, and rain to keep crowds moving smoothly and safely.
Seeing a humanoid robot assist on real city streets shows how mechanical engineering, clever computer coding, and sensors can lend a helping hand to hardworking people. In the future, similar robotic teammates could help manage traffic and keep community events well-organized around the world.
Words to know
- Humanoid: A robot designed with a human-like shape, usually having a head, body, arms, and legs.
- LiDAR: A clever sensor tool that bounces light beams off objects to map surroundings and measure distances.
- Autonomous: Able to move, operate, and complete tasks on its own without needing a human to steer every step.
- Surveillance blind spot: An area that cannot be easily seen or watched by cameras and human guards.
Did you know?
Hangxing No. 2 stands 178 centimetres tall, which makes it roughly the same height as an adult human police officer!
Think about it
If you were an engineer designing a robot helper for your school’s annual sports day, what helpful tasks would you programme it to do? How do you think human officers and robots can make the best team?
Quick quiz
How tall is the humanoid robot Hangxing No. 2?
- 150 centimetres
- 178 centimetres
- 210 centimetres
See the answer
178 centimetres
Sources
This story was prepared by the Kids Gazette news desk with the help of AI research and writing tools, using the sources listed above.
