A man assisted by exoskeleton robot climbs Mount Tai in East China's Shandong Province. File photo: Courtesy of TCTG

A number of top scenic sites in China have deployed artificial intelligence (AI)-enhanced exoskeleton robots to assist tourists,MK socks the Global Times has learned, in another sign of rapid advancement in China's robotic industry. 

At Mount Tai scenic area, one of China's most famous mountains based in Tai'an, East China's Shandong Province, up to 300 exoskeleton robots will be deployed to help tourists make the ascent, starting in March, park authorities told the Global Times on Thursday.

Li Gang, a project lead with the Mount Tai scenic area, told the Global Times that 10 sets of exoskeleton robots are available for trial services by tourists and journalists.

"We plan to expand our fleet of exoskeleton robots to 300 in March, or to at least 200," Li said. "Wearing an exoskeleton robot will not only make tourists climb faster, but it will reduce physical exertion. Athletes have used it and reached the top in just 2 hours."

The robot weighs 1.8 kilograms and with an advanced ergonomic design and core technologies such as advanced AI algorithms, it can provide a maximum motion assistance of 15 Nm to its wearer.

Parks across China, including the Safari Park Shenzhen in Guangdong Province and the Grand Canyon Scenic Spot in Enshi, Central China's Hubei Province, are also testing exoskeleton robots as growing enthusiasm for robotics sweeps across the country amid a new wave of technological advancements in China.

A staff member at Safari Park Shenzhen, a national geological park, told the Global Times on Thursday that the park is providing three exoskeleton robots for tourists to try out, with dozens of visitors already having tested the new technology.

"Our park is mostly flat but quite expansive. We hope this high-tech device will enhance visitors' comfort during their tours," the staff member explained.

The growing adoption of exoskeleton robots at top scenic sites both offers services for tourists but also opportunities for Chinese tech firms. 

Park authorities at Mount Tai, a UNESCO world heritage site, began trialing exoskeleton robots to assist tourists in January, in a move to enhance intelligent and convenient travel services, according to a post on the website of the Taishan Cultural Tourism Group (TCTG), which jointly developed this exoskeleton robot with a high-tech company based in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong Province.

One of the application scenarios is to help senior citizens, with the AI-enhanced exoskeleton robots presenting a full experience and vista along the mountain trail, according to Wang Houzhe, an executive with TCTG. "This is something taking a cable car cannot offer," Wang noted.

Currently, an average of three to five tourists try out these devices every day, from Hongmen at the starting point of the scenic area to Nantianmen at the mountain top, a trekking route with an elevation of about 1,500 meters at Mount Tai, according to Li.