DETROIT (WXYZ) — A human-sized robot casually walking down 7 Mile Road in Detroit has captured viral attention online and stopped pedestrians in their tracks.
The robot, named Zion, is part of a promotion for an upcoming robot battle event in the city.
Watch Carli Petrus' video report below:
Eddie Abro, who works on 7 Mile, couldn't believe what he was seeing when he encountered the robot.
"I couldn't believe it. I've seen it on TV. I've never seen it in live motion the way it's walking and all that. It's beautiful," Abro said.
The unusual sight also caused Michelle Pryor to pull over and investigate.
"Reminds me of the movie 'RoboCop'," Pryor said.
Art Cartwright, the robot's owner and founder of Interactive Combat League, explained that the robot is harmless and part of his mission to bring robot technology to Detroit.
"This is really the only place that I can think of in America where you can actually see robots live, in person, real robots, right here at robowars.com," Cartwright said.
The robot seen on 7 Mile was promoting the upcoming RoboWar event scheduled for July 19.
"It's amazing. It's for the family. Anyone can come," Cartwright said.
Watch video of robot Zion in action below:
But Cartwright's mission extends beyond robot battles. He's giving Detroit youth the opportunity to learn advanced technology including 16-year-old Jacobi Wilson, who is learning to operate a robot named Quantum.
"It's amazing, but they're picking up on it fast. I mean, you can just give them the remote, tell them how to do it and they're learning robotics, they're learning the entire spectrum of it. But I think they're more trusting of the new technology than some of the older people are," Cartwright said.
Watch our extended interview with Art Cartwright in the video player below:
Initially hesitant, Pryor now says she'll definitely attend the next RoboWar event.
"Yes, yes, this is just amazing," Pryor said.
Those interested in attending the July 19 event can find ticket information at robowar.com.
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