China testing AI-powered police-ball that looks like a battle droid

The terminators and battle droids of science fiction are drawing ever closer to becoming non-fiction. In China, law enforcement agencies are reportedly testing a spherical facial recognition-equipped robot capable of taking down criminals.

The autonomous machine in question is called the RT-G and it’s developed by Hangzhou-based Logon Technology. Designed for urban patrol, criminals will need to flee faster than the 35km/h it’s able to reach. Jumping into water won’t help either as the RT-G navigates both land and water and can withstand impacts of up to four tons.

In a video the RT-G can be seen sliding atop a pool and up a bank, along pavements, dropping off ledges, and navigating off-road terrain. Equipped with AI, the robot can supposedly identify criminals using facial recognition before taking them down with a built-in net gun.

The robot can call human back-up while other non-lethal devices include sound dispersal and tear gas sprayers. It also relies on collision to incapacitate people (it weighs 125 kg). In footage posted by TikTok user @di.q60 a spherical droid can be seen patrolling a shopping street in Hangzhou flanked by four human officers.

Founded in late 2017, Logon Technology specializes in spherical robots but it’s not the only Chinese company invested in intelligent robots aimed at security tasks. Previously, China has shown off the Lynx, developed by Deep Robotics (also Hangzhou-based). Resembling metallic dogs, the robots could wheel across uneven surfaces and climb up boulders with its four legs.

While China is advancing in robotics it has competition across the Pacific in the Massachusetts-based Boston Dynamics, which has developed humanoid robots and robot dogs designed for DARPA. In April 2023, New York City’s N.Y.P.D. brought back robot dogs made by Boston Dynamics after the robodogs were taken off the streets following protests two years earlier.

Article Topics

China  |  facial recognition  |  law enforcement  |  Logon Technology  |  robots