Singapore has put two autonomous robots through their paces to detect bad behaviour such as ignoring COVID-19 safety measures, smoking in prohibited areas, and improper bicycle parking.
Singapore has begun testing two self-driving robots to detect bad social behaviour such as ignoring COVID-19 safety measures and smoking in prohibited areas.
Singapore has begun trials of robots to patrol public areas and deter bad behaviour, as part of its latest effort to supplement its robust portfolio of surveillance tools.
🚨 Wow! #Singapore launches #robots to detect "unwanted behaviour" among people on the streets 🤖#ai #xavier #robotic pic.twitter.com/l73sIQFmLF
— tiger.trade (@tiger_trade) September 6, 2021
Singapore, ranked as one of the safest countries in the world, has put two autonomous robots on trial to detect bad behaviour such as violating COVID-19 safety measures, smoking in prohibited areas, and improper bicycle parking, according to a statement issued by Singapore’s Home Team Science and Technology Agency on Sunday.
According to the company, the two patrol robots, dubbed Xavier, are outfitted with cameras that can detect inappropriate social behaviour and send real-time alerts to the command and control centre.
The trial is taking place in a high-traffic area of central Singapore. The agency stated that the robots would be used for surveillance and displaying messages to educate the public on proper behaviour during the three-week trial.
A spokesperson from the agency said on Monday that the robots would not be used for law enforcement during the trial. “The deployment of Xavier will support the work of public officers as it will reduce the manpower required for foot patrols and improve operation efficiency,” the agency said.
Singapore’s Home Affairs Minister, K Shanmugam, stated in August that the city-state aimed to have more than 200,000 police cameras by 2030, more than doubling the number of cameras currently deployed across the Southeast Asian island state.
