Carrying nearly 40 kilograms despite their slender limbs, a pack of robot dogs was recently spotted navigating the steep steps of Mount Tai, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in east China’s Shandong Province. These mechanical canines are part of an innovative trial aimed at revolutionizing how waste is collected and removed from the historic mountain.
For years, the challenging terrain of Mount Tai, with its narrow and winding paths, has made large-scale mechanized cleaning nearly impossible. Human porters have borne the burden of carrying trash up and down the mountain—a physically demanding and time-consuming task. But now, technology offers a promising alternative.
“These robot dogs are industrial-grade quadruped machines developed by a domestic technology company,” explained Ma Yufei, head of the property management team at Taishan Cultural Tourism Group. “Their mission is to free human porters from the longstanding challenge of garbage removal on Mount Tai.”
Mount Tai holds great historical and cultural significance, attracting millions of visitors annually. In 2023 alone, the mountain saw a record 8.62 million tourists, generating 24,000 tonnes of waste. “The difficulty and cost of garbage collection and removal have both increased significantly, making efficient cleanup a real challenge,” Ma noted.
The robot dogs are designed to excel in rough terrain, moving steadily on slippery surfaces, climbing stairs with ease, and overcoming obstacles up to 40 centimeters high. Each robot can carry a maximum load of 120 kilograms and operate for over four hours on a single charge.
“In the past, we had to carry everything ourselves,” said Zhao Xingzhong, a cleaner on Mount Tai. “If these robots can be deployed after fine-tuning, it will greatly ease our workload.”
During the tests, tourists were captivated by the sight of the futuristic helpers. “It’s exciting to see how modern technology is breathing new life into Mount Tai,” one visitor remarked. “Imagine climbing alongside these steel companions, carrying their heavy loads with precision and grace. It’s amazing!”
The potential introduction of robot dogs on Mount Tai reflects a broader trend in China, where intelligent robots are becoming increasingly common in daily life—from autonomous delivery vehicles on city streets to gesture-controlled vending machines.
Data shows that China is the world’s largest producer of robots. In 2023, the country produced 7.833 million service robots, marking a 21.3 percent increase from the previous year. The output of industrial robots reached 430,000 units, nearly 73 percent of the global total.
The development of more advanced humanoid robots is also accelerating. According to a report released at the First Chinese Humanoid Robot Industry Conference in April, the market scale of the humanoid robot industry in China is predicted to reach 75 billion yuan (10.5 billion U.S. dollars) by 2029, accounting for 32.7 percent of the global total.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
