DEEP Robotics sends its DR02 humanoid to direct traffic in rainy Hangzhou
During the Golden Week holiday rush, the Hangzhou robot maker ran field trials of its DR02 humanoid at a packed wetland park and rain-soaked intersections, testing whether humanoids can take on real traffic-management duty.
DEEP Robotics, the Hangzhou-based maker of the Jueying quadruped series, has begun field trials of its DR02 humanoid robot in the city's Xihu district, putting the machines on traffic-management duty during the early-October holiday rush. According to a company announcement carried on ACCESS Newswire on Thursday, a batch of DR02 units was deployed at Xixi National Wetland Park — testing visitor inquiry and guidance amid heavy foot traffic — and at busy intersections around Lingyin, including Zheda Road and West Wenyi Road, where the robots trialed intersection control, order maintenance, and tourist consultation.
The weather supplied its own stress test: steady rain fell on Hangzhou in early October, and the company says the DR02 units kept working through it. Coverage of the trials notes the robot's IP66-rated protection against dust and water — the kind of all-weather durability that matters if humanoids are ever going to hold down outdoor jobs. Demonstrated tasks included reminding scooter riders to wear helmets and broadcasting traffic-signal information.
The company frames the trials as an exploration of a new way for humanoid robots to participate in traffic management, envisioning a future in which humanoids support — rather than replace — traffic officers during peak periods. It is the latest sign of Hangzhou's appetite for civic-facing robots: earlier this month The Robot Daily reported that humanoid robots were directing traffic in the city during the National Day holiday, and Golden Week has seen robots greeting shoppers, guarding stores, and posing with tourists across China.
The usual caveats apply to company-released test footage: the announcement is a paid company wire, and neither the degree of autonomous operation nor the extent of human supervision on site was disclosed. The videos show the DR02 navigating crowds and signaling to pedestrians, but the company has not published independent validation of what is shown. DEEP Robotics, founded in 2017, built its name on quadrupeds for power inspection, rescue, and mining work — the DR02 marks its push into the humanoid arena now crowded with competition from Unitree, AgiBot, XPeng, and others.