The RT-G spherical robot used by the Chinese police.
Credit: Lucheng Public Security Office
Life in Chinese cities continues to imitate dystopian art with further technological advances that replicate sci-fi movies.
First it was the social credit system, which appeared to be a rip-off of an episode of Netflix’s Black Mirror, in which citizens use an app to rate people they encounter in their daily lives on a scale of one to five. The result being that if one’s rating dropped to as low as 2 out of 5, certain rights would be diminished, such as the ability to buy a train or plane ticket. What began as a science fiction tale became reality in some Chinese cities.
The same could be said of China’s latest electronic innovation: a new rolling spherical robot that promises to identify and neutralise criminals. The device, called RT-G, is in the hands of the Chinese police to patrol the streets with officers and is able to pursue criminals thanks to its fast-acting, flexible movements.
Dystopian Chinese robot to patrol and chase suspects
The RT-G reaches a maximum speed of 30 kilometres per hour in just 2.5 seconds, weighs more than 100 kilos, is stable thanks to its self-balancing design, can move through land and water, incorporates a spherical housing capable of protecting itself from bullets and other projectiles, and can be equipped with a variety of accessories such as sprays, smoke bombs, and capture nets. It can also incorporate cameras, advanced control algorithms to adapt the routes in real time, and GPS sensors.
Seemingly inspired by the robot character BB-8 from the Star Wars series of movies, the spherical robot has a fast rotary movement, rolls in any direction required, does not need additional stabilisers, has a battery that allows it to operate continuously for ten hours, works at temperatures from as low as -30ºC, and withstands falls of up to one metre without suffering any damage.
The mission of this robot is to fulfil tasks such as patrolling dangerous communities, popular tourist areas, rivers, and lakes, and performing emergency rescues. However, for the moment, RT-G has only been deployed in the city of Wenzhou (China) for trials.
