Robots with Autonomous Switch & Knob Manipulation

Shanghai Electric

Mermaid

Mermaid is Shanghai Electric's bionic wheeled humanoid robot designed specifically for physical inspection and electrical panel operations in confined, narrow, and hazardous industrial spaces. Showcased at the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC), Mermaid features a slender bio-inspired wheeled base, an agile humanoid upper body, and DexHand dexterous end effectors. Driven by computer vision models and autonomous trajectory generation, Mermaid identifies push-buttons, rotary selector knobs, and air circuit breakers, generating real-time collision-free paths to manipulate switchgear without manual programming. This design isolates human operators from arc-flash risks and restricted equipment corridors.