On the first day of the May Day holiday, Hangzhou’s West Lake scenic area and surrounding key road sections welcomed a ‘special police force’—the country’s first fully-fledged squadron of traffic management robots officially began duty. This robot traffic police unit, named ‘Hangjing Zhixing’, comprises 15 intelligent traffic management robots. Their primary duties include advising cyclists and pedestrians on traffic violations, directing traffic, and providing directions to visitors. Working in tandem with officers on the ground, they have enhanced the efficiency of traffic management. This is not the first time these traffic management robots have been deployed; they previously participated in traffic management duties during the West Lake Half Marathon in March and the Hangzhou Women’s Half Marathon in April, gaining valuable practical experience. During this May Day holiday, they have officially transitioned from the ‘testing ground’ of sporting events to the ‘battlefield’ of high holiday traffic volumes, marking an upgrade from ‘individual pilot schemes’ to ‘team-based escort operations’. According to the Traffic Management Brigade of the Hangzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau, this deployment adopted a ‘one plan per location’ strategy. Fifteen robots have been strategically deployed at key junctions in urban districts such as Shangcheng, Gongshu, Xihu and Binjiang, providing comprehensive coverage of key locations including the West Lake scenic area, the Hubin commercial district and major city thoroughfares. These robots will perform differentiated functions according to the specific scenarios and operational requirements of each junction, forming a new operational model of “human-robot collaboration and complementary strengths” with on-site police officers. During public holidays at the West Lake scenic area, asking for directions is one of the most common requests from visitors. Consequently, one of the core functions of the traffic management robots is to provide directional assistance to visitors. Visitors need only approach the robot and tap the “I want to speak” button on the interactive screen to initiate an enquiry. The robot’s built-in large-scale voice model can rapidly recognise the visitor’s verbal request and, by combining real-time traffic conditions and geographical location, provide the optimal walking or public transport route via voice interaction and text-and-image displays on the robot’s screen. In addition, at key intersections across the city, the robots focus on monitoring traffic offences committed by cyclists and pedestrians. Equipped with high-performance visual recognition algorithms, the traffic management robots are capable of intelligent, round-the-clock, multi-target monitoring of intersections, accurately identifying offences such as cyclists stopping across the line, riders not wearing safety helmets, illegal passenger carrying, and pedestrians lingering in motor vehicle lanes. Upon detecting such behaviour, the robots issue real-time guidance and warnings via a directional voice system. If the offence is not rectified after three reminders, the robot records the evidence of the violation and forwards it to the brigade’s early warning centre, forming an automated management loop of ‘real-time detection – precise identification – immediate guidance’. In terms of traffic control, the traffic management robot utilises millisecond-level synchronisation technology with the junction signal control system, as well as a built-in library of traffic control gestures compliant with Ministry of Public Security standards, to execute eight categories of control actions—including go, stop and turn left—with precision and fluidity. This ensures that the robot’s gestures are fully synchronised with the traffic lights, providing drivers and pedestrians with clear, unambiguous instructions for passage. Hangzhou’s decision to establish this fleet of traffic management robots was primarily driven by the need to free up police resources. In traditional traffic control duties at road junctions, officers are required to spend long hours performing repetitive tasks such as issuing verbal instructions, blowing whistles and advising motorists. This is particularly the case in key areas such as tourist attractions, where traffic management responsibilities are heavy and police resources are often stretched. Robots, however, are capable of operating around the clock and can work continuously for eight to nine hours a day, effectively taking over these basic, repetitive tasks. The police resources thus freed up can be deployed more flexibly to tasks that require human judgement and emergency response, such as the rapid handling of accidents, the investigation of serious traffic offences, and the identification of safety hazards. Hangzhou’s fleet of intelligent traffic management robots represents a new model for future traffic management. By harnessing the power of technology, it has effectively enhanced the efficiency and quality of traffic management, whilst also laying the foundations for the intelligent and automated development of urban traffic management.