To help the government with enforcing the social distancing rules, a “robodog” is roaming around the parks of Singapore.
Spot, the robot, started its duty in Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park on May 8. It played recorded messages that reminded the people of the social distancing rules.
The robot is also equipped with cameras, maybe that’s why it got the name Spot.
The recordings from these cameras are used to help estimate the number of visitors coming to the park.
However, the cameras don’t track individuals or record those in breach of the social distancing rules, and hence can’t be used as a speed camera.
It has been planned to deploy Spot over a three-kilometer region in the River Plains part of the park except in the peak hours.
Initially, Spot will be been appointed for a trial period of two weeks and will be accompanied, at all times, by an officer of National Parks Board, NPark.
If the trial gives positive results, the robot will be deployed for peak hours as well and in other parks too.
According to a report by The Straits Times, Singapore’s national technology agency GovTech has added various functions to Spot, including 3-D mapping, remote control, and partially autonomous operations for the trial period.
The remote-control aspect is added particularly to enhance the usability of the robot while maintaining social distancing.
The four-leg design of Spot makes it suitable to move around the uneven terrain of the park and avoid obstacles with the sensors it is equipped with.
It is a better approach to be used in a park than wheeled robots. The design also gives it a cute and friendly dog-like look.
However, if you’ve seen the Black Mirror episode “Metalhead,” Spot might appear to you as an evil instrument of doom.
This is not the first instance of robots being used to help fight coronavirus. Back in March, when cases in China were more than the staff could handle, they used robots to aid the medical staff.
Wuhan Tongji Tianyou Hospital, Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital, and Wuhan Union Hospital used robots to clean up, take temperatures, and deliver medication and meals to patients.
The robots came from CloudMinds, a tech company that donated the robots to China in February.
Replaced!