Chinese scenic spots deploy exoskeleton robots to assist tourists, with large

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By Chu Daye (Global Times) 16:07, February 20, 2025

A man wearing the exoskeleton climbs Mount Taishan. (Photo/Taishanwanbao)

A number of top scenic sites in China have deployed AI-enhanced exoskeleton robots to assist tourists, the Global Times has learned.

At Mount Tai scenic area, one of China's most famous mountains based in Tai'an, East China's Shandong Province, up to 300 sets of 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, currently 10 sets of exoskeleton robots are available for trial 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 make tourists climb faster, but it reduces physical exertion. Athletes have used it and reached the top in just 2 hours."

Park authorities at Mount Tai, the most important mountain in Chinese history and 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.

The robot weighs 1,800 grams, and with an advanced ergonomic design and core technologies such as advanced AI algorithms, it can provide maximum motion assistance of 15 Nm to its wearer.

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 Mountain Tai, according to Li.

The exoskeleton is controllable and the pace is determined by its wearer. The normal climbing time by a wearer using the exoskeleton is not much different from the average climber, at about 4-5 hours, but trial users generally report a much easier, energy-saving climbing experience, Li said.

Notably, just like most tourists need to take a rest at Zhongtianmen - halfway through the ascent - the exoskeleton robots need to swap batteries before continuing the climbing. At present, a fully charged exoskeleton robot can operate for about three hours on a full charge, Li said.

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 a 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, informed the Global Times on Thursday that the park is providing three sets of 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.

According to a report by domestic news portal thepaper.cn, wearers report an energy-saving experience following the tryout.

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.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Zhong Wenxing)