COMMUNITY worker Gong Xiangyu can patrol Shanghai’s largest downtown historical conservation zone in Xuhui District alone in a newly unveiled smart patrol vehicle.

Equipped with smart image-recognition cameras and a drone, the car can automatically detect minor damage to the more than 1,000 listed historical buildings in the Hengfu historical zone.

The intelligent cameras send the information collected from each of the buildings to an urban operation management center for an artificial intelligence system to analyze. Any illegal decoration or damage to the protected buildings triggers an alarm to Gong and his colleagues.

The vehicle can also detect pollution, illegal business operations, road and infrastructure damage as well as other urban management problems. Five such smart cars have been in operation across the downtown district.

It is part of the intelligent urban management measures released by Xuhui District to enhance efficiency and accuracy.

The Xuhui Administrative Service Center at 969 Nanning Road, home to the smart urban management system, is connected by the city’s Humin Elevated Road.

The 7.9-kilometer-long expressway is one of the city’s earliest artery roads in the southern downtown section. The first phase of the project opened in July 1997, while the extended phase opened in December 2003.

The center features the most advanced urban management network supported by new technologies, such as 5G, AI and big data analysis, along with self-service machines and numerous one-stop services.

It has simplified procedures in a bid to speed up paperwork for new companies, professionals and residents.

Eighteen “integrated windows” can solve a range of issues for people, such as processing work applications and residence permits for foreigners who work for Xuhui-based companies.

Robots have been deployed to guide procedures, which expedites the paperwork. They have been assigned to deliver applicants’ documents to the center staff, so employees can focus on evaluations.

Each robot can take elevators and speak and can make 20 round trips a day, saving more than four hours for staff and reducing’ waiting times.

Five facial recognition facilities have also been installed at service windows to check the identity of applicants within a second. AI robots answer questions and guide them to the correct window.