MK sport at Boda Park in Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, two robotic patrol dogs attracted significant attention from visitors and local residents, alongside a fleet of intelligent patrol vehicles. Photo: Screenshot from Beijing E-Town's official WeChat " src="https://www.globaltimes.cn/Portals/0/attachment/2025/2025-03-10/a6ae0589-7e2a-4250-8337-3dcb1bb81776.jpeg" />

On March 8, at Boda Park in Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, two robotic patrol dogs attracted significant attention from visitors and local residents, alongside a fleet of intelligent patrol vehicles. Photo: Screenshot from Beijing E-Town's official WeChat

The Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area (BDA) has taken a major step toward becoming an AI-powered town with the launch of its next-generation intelligent patrol system. Featuring unmanned vehicles and robotic patrol dogs, the initiative will boost urban security and governance, according to a press release the BDA administration sent to the Global Times on Monday.

On Saturday at Boda Park in BDA, southeastern Beijing, two gray-and-white "robot dogs" labeled with "Patrol, Publicity, and Prevention," along with a fleet of smart patrol vehicles captured the attention of on-lookers.

A pioneering town for autonomous driving and smart city development, BDA has recently launched a next-generation intelligent patrol system. The system includes 18 Level-4 autonomous vehicles, 15 manned patrol cars, and two industrial-grade robotic dogs.

"Although the applications are still in the early trial stage, they demonstrate Beijing's active exploration in intelligent robots and smart city construction," Chen Jing, vice president of the Technology and Strategy Research Institute, told the Global Times.

The robotic patrol dogs, featuring bionic quadrupedal design with a sleek streamlined body, weighted approximately 65 kg with agility and efficiency.

In addition to the patrol dogs, the autonomous patrol vehicles are fitted with 360-degree cameras and high-precision sensors, integrating seamlessly into the city's smart surveillance network. Together, the systems form a round-the-clock "sky-ground" monitoring network, providing full coverage in the BDA district.

The intelligent patrol system uses AI and big data to detect risks like abnormal behavior and fire hazards in real time, sending alerts via 5G for rapid response and ensuring a closed-loop emergency management system.

"The patrol fleet operates 24/7, tripling efficiency and reducing security blind spots," said BDA, noting that the robotic dogs, designed for extreme conditions with IP67 protection and a four-hour battery, are equipped with modular tools for tasks like patrolling and bomb disposal. Linked via 5G with unmanned vehicles, they provide detailed ground inspections while supporting logistics and data transmission, creating an efficient "scout and support" system.

Notably, the robotic dogs will play a crucial security role in the upcoming Beijing Yizhuang Half Marathon and the world's first Humanoid Robot Half Marathon, showing adaptability in urban safety management.

"Technology shores up security, assisting high-quality urban development," said a BDA official. 

The district has established a comprehensive security system that integrates unmanned vehicles, robotic dogs, and law enforcement, achieving seamless coordination between smart enforcement tools and open-road policing for the first time, the official added. 

The 2025 Beijing Yizhuang Half Marathon and the Humanoid Robot Half Marathon will take place on April 13, with humanoid robots running the same route alongside athletes, marking a world-first in combining sports with robotic technology. 

"Humanoid robots will start simultaneously with athletes at the starting line, running the same route for the first time," noted Li Quan, deputy director of the BDA Administrative Committee, according to a post seen on BDA's WeChat account.

The introduction of a new generation of smart patrol tools will enhance urban governance. Beijing BDA will continue to explore the deep integration of AI with urban management in the future, leveraging more technological innovations, which may provide a replicable "Yizhuang model" for smart city governance in the country.

In addition to the patrol system, Beijing BDA has become a key hub for the high-tech manufacturing, which homes over 300 companies such as Xiaomi Robotics and UBTECH, the BDA committee said.

The BDA has developed a robust industrial ecosystem, featuring a comprehensive "1+6" model that integrates core components with humanoid robots, industrial robots, medical-care robots, logistics robots and more. This ecosystem covers everything from core parts to application scenarios, establishing a complete embodied intelligence chain.

On February 28, Beijing released the "Beijing Embodied Intelligent Technology Innovation and Industry Cultivation Action Plan (2025-2027)." 

By the end of 2027, the city aims to achieve breakthroughs in over 100 key technologies and produce at least 10 internationally leading hardware and software products, the state broadcaster CCTV reported.

Additionally, the city plans to promote the large-scale deployment of 10,000 embodied intelligent robots and cultivate an industry cluster valued at 100 billion yuan ($13.8 billion).

Chinese enterprises and local governments frequently collaborate on new technology innovation and application, such as the robotic dogs and humanoid robots to garner valuable hands-on experiences and insights in partnership with the developers, and help advance broader application of new technologies, the expert said.