A robotic dog that would be deployed to deliver heavy loads including garbage is in a test run at the Mount Tai scenic area in Tai'an, east China's Shandong Province, Oct. 21, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

Carrying nearly 40 kilograms despite their slender limbs, an unusual group of robot dogs were recently spotted moving up and down the steps on Mount Tai, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in east China's Shandong Province.

These robot dogs were undergoing weight-bearing climbing tests. Their mission is to free human porters from the longstanding challenge of garbage removal on Mount Tai.

Ma Yufei, head of the property management team at Taishan Cultural Tourism Group, explained that these robots are industrial-grade quadruped machines developed by a domestic technology company.

Regarded as the foremost one of the Five Great Mountains of China, Mount Tai is of both historical and cultural significance. However, due to its steep terrain and narrow, winding roads, large-scale mechanized cleaning operations have long been unfeasible on Mount Tai. For years, human porters have had to carry trash up and down the mountain on foot.

"In 2023, Mount Tai saw a record 8.62 million visitors, generating 24,000 tonnes of waste," Ma said. "The difficulty and cost of garbage collection and removal have both increased significantly, making efficient cleanup a real challenge."

Robot dogs could help to make waste removal faster and more efficient at this famous venue. These robots are designed to excel in rough terrain, move steadily on slippery surfaces, climb stairs with ease, and cross obstacles like wooden barriers and platforms up to 40 cm high. Each can carry a maximum load of 120 kg and operate for over four hours on a single charge, according to testers.

"In the past, we had to carry everything ourselves. But if these robots can be deployed after fine-tuning, it will greatly ease our workload," said Zhao Xingzhong, a cleaner on Mount Tai.

During tests, these robot dogs have attracted considerable attention from tourists.

"It's exciting to see how modern technology is breathing new life into Mount Tai," one tourist 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 is part of a broader trend in China. Intelligent robots are becoming common in daily life, ranging 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, China produced 7.833 million service robots -- marking a 21.3 percent increase from the previous year. In the same year, the output of industrial robots in China reached 430,000 sets, 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.

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