According to the Global Times newspaper, the new service has been implemented in the Shenzhen metro in Guangdong Province and, according to the publication, has no analogues in the global practice of urban transport. A robotic dog named Xiaosuan (Garlic) is designed to help passengers with visual impairments when moving around the station.
The device uses artificial intelligence technologies and 3D voxel neural sensing, which allows it to recognize the surrounding space, build a route and safely accompany a person. The robot is able to independently bypass obstacles and navigate the subway infrastructure.
At the first stage, the service is operating in a test mode at one of the stations under the supervision of metro staff. If successfully operated within a month, the Shenzhen authorities plan to expand the use of robotic guide dogs and introduce them on other subway lines.
