By South China Morning Post | Created at 2024-12-12 10:11:44 | Updated at 2024-12-12 12:54:43
2 hours ago
In eastern China, a robot that can identify and chase suspects follows police officers as they patrol the streets in a crowded commercial district, as Beijing seeks new ways to deploy advanced technology to aid police.
Police in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, are reportedly using the robots, which could be equipped with suppression tools such as tear gas, under a new project.
In the viral clip that appears straight from a sci-fi film, the spherical robot is shown equipped with cameras and flashing lights, it tilts to the sides and rolls around without tipping over.
Chinese authorities promote it as a tool that “cannot be smashed” and is “resilient in hostile environments” in their latest push to improve hi-tech policing.
The spherical robot, patented by the College of Control Science and Engineering at Zhejiang University, intended to solve issues facing robots with wheels and legs, the Wenzhou Daily reported on Wednesday.
Wang You, an associate professor at the college, told the newspaper the device weighed 125kg (275lbs), could travel at 35km/h (22mph) and needed only 2.5 seconds to accelerate to maximum speed.
