GUANGZHOU, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Some 20 robot policemen are patrolling the north railway station in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, help keep passengers safe during the Spring Festival travel rush.

The robots, about one meter high, have been on the job since Wednesday. They can aid their human colleagues in duties, such as asking passengers not to smoke and searching for suspects.

Passengers can also get in touch with the human policemen through the video conversation systems on the robots' faces.

Some of the robots dance to amuse the passengers and some can offer services such as blood pressure tests and news reporting.

This year's 40-day Spring Festival travel rush began on Feb. 1. About 3 billion trips are expected to be made during the period.