Robot sapper competitions were held in Urumqi as part of a national special police contest
Robot sapper competitions were held in Urumqi as part of a national special police contest. Technology is increasingly coming to the aid of those whose profession involves constant risk. Sappers are among those who face deadly danger every day, and robots are becoming their reliable assistants, taking on the most hazardous tasks. But even the most advanced machinery requires mastery of control, honed through years of training, where every grip, every angle and every movement matters. The competitions in Urumqi were not just a test of skills but a demonstration of how humans and machines can work in perfect synergy to save lives.
On Tuesday, robot sapper competitions were held in Urumqi, Xinjiang, in northwestern China, as part of a national special police contest that opened the day before. Participants controlled wheeled or tracked robots to overcome obstacles and neutralise simulated explosives. "In real operations, we choose robots depending on the type of terrain. Large robots have a high centre of gravity when climbing stairs, making them prone to tipping forward or sideways. Small robots are more stable on stairs and have better mobility, but their gripping force is weaker than that of large robots," said Zhang Haijun, a participant from the Xinjiang special police team. After overcoming obstacles, another serious challenge for the sappers was the precise and safe gripping of simulated explosives with a robotic arm. Even minor errors in force or angle could create danger in real situations. Sapper unit officers say they regularly train to control robots by gripping various objects to refine their handling skills. "During daily training, we use raw and boiled eggs. We started with hard objects, then gradually moved to ping‑pong balls and eggs to improve our skills," Zhang explained.
The robot sapper competitions in Urumqi were part of a broader training programme for special units, where robotics are increasingly being integrated into daily practice. Such contests not only help identify the best operators but also facilitate experience‑sharing between regions and allow new robot models to be tested in conditions close to real combat. As CCTV+ reports. The use of robots in sapper work significantly reduces risks to human life, and these competitions contribute to the further development of this vital technology.
