Singapore Is Using A Robot Dog To Enforce Social Distancing & I Guess The Future Is Now
In 2020, sci-fi technologies like self-parking cars and folding phones are fine, whatever, we’re not even bothered. But here comes Singapore with the latest piece of creepy tech, a robot dog that patrols public places to enforce social distancing.
The dog is actually Boston Dynamics’ four-legged robot called Spot. According to Singapore’s National Parks Board, Spot is now patrolling the city’s Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park, to “remind park visitors to observe safe distancing measures.”
Just received the most Singaporean pandemic content from a mate based in the little red dot pic.twitter.com/vqgnQ5F4D9
— Soon-Tzu Speechley 孫子 (@speechleyish) May 8, 2020
That’s right, a robot dog is wandering the park on its own, and broadcasting a recorded message to stop people getting too close to one another. What a concept!
“Let’s keep Singapore healthy,” begins the robot dog’s broadcasted message. “For your own safety, and for those around you, please stand at least one metre apart. Thank you.”
[media_embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYsguXv_HLM[/media_embed]Spot is fitted with cameras that will be used to monitor the number of visitors in the park, but Singapore’s National Parks Board says it won’t use the camera to collect data or identify anyone in the park.
We can all agree this is pretty creepy, but it makes sense from a social distancing perspective. Spot is controlled remotely and can cover all kinds of difficult terrain, meaning less humans have to go outside to keep the park safe.
That hasn’t stopped people from roasting this little robot dog, of course.
That episode of Black Mirror fucked me up
— Soon-Tzu Speechley 孫子 (@speechleyish) May 8, 2020
I just saw this in an episode of Black Mirror – it did not end well…
— ᕲᗩᐺᖻᕵᗩᑘᒪ (@DavyPaul) May 8, 2020
Wow… it begins pic.twitter.com/bxcWfT3xPa
— Chris✝️ (@Chris4jmj) May 8, 2020
Our robot overlords arrived a few years ahead of schedule.
— Wes Wise (@wisematize) May 9, 2020
Let’s see that thing survive a weekend in Footscray.
— Birdman Al (@Birdman_Al) May 8, 2020
Welcome to @WestworldHBO. pic.twitter.com/WfB7M20mZT
— (@aayushjain) May 9, 2020
This timeline is too much.
— Denis Skinner (@SkinnerDenis) May 9, 2020
Anyway, the funniest thing in the world is still robots falling over, so here’s a nice compilation to balance out all these jokes about murder robots.
[media_embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0TaYhjpOfo[/media_embed](Lead image: Boston Dynamics / YouTube)
