An international artificial intelligence sanitation robot competition is currently taking place in Shenzhen, showcasing advancements in urban management technology. The event, organized by the Shenzhen municipal and Longgang district governments, runs from November 28 to December 1, 2025, in Longgang district. It features competitions focused on real-world scenarios in three categories: park squares, sidewalks and non-motorized lanes, and auxiliary roads.
More than 200 urban management departments from cities across China and over 500 enterprises are participating, providing a platform for companies to display their innovations to government and corporate buyers. Organizers have emphasized that the event will facilitate connections between attendees and provide enterprises access to crucial government procurement information, aiming to transform technological demonstrations into substantive business orders.
“Longgang district is sparing no effort to implement the ‘All in AI’ strategy. We will allocate government procurement orders worth 10 billion yuan ($141 million) to drive the application of more than 1,000 intelligent robots in sectors including urban management and public services,” said Zhang Yuqing, deputy district mayor of Longgang.
This push for AI-driven sanitation aligns with Longgang’s commitment to fostering the AI industry. The district has previously launched the world’s first AI 6S store, which integrates services for software development and hardware manufacturing, encompassing functions like product display, sales, solution development, talent training, community building, and startup incubation.
Longgang has also opened an innovative robot 6S store aimed at expanding the application scenarios for robots, bringing them closer to consumers in everyday life. “Shenzhen stands as a trailblazer in the country’s unmanned and intelligent sanitation industry, taking the lead in both technological R&D and practical application,” noted Cao Man, the competition’s chief judge. He highlighted that Shenzhen’s prominent position is bolstered by both forward-thinking policies and tangible achievements on the ground.
Despite these advancements, experts caution that fully unmanned sanitation operations will be a gradual process. “Considering the complexity of the entire chain and the need for seamless connection between different unmanned systems, it is expected that Shenzhen may achieve fully unmanned sanitation operations only after 30 years,” Cao added.
This competition not only underscores Shenzhen’s role as a hub for cutting-edge technology but also reflects broader trends in the global push for automation and AI integration in urban services. As cities increasingly turn to innovative solutions to meet the challenges of urban management, events like this provide critical insights into the future of smart cities.
With the rapid advancements in AI technologies, the implications for public services and urban management are profound. The results of this competition could set the stage for the next generation of sanitation systems, potentially reshaping how urban environments operate in the coming decades.
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