SINGAPORE, Nov 14, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Hi-tech Singapore has deployed an
autonomous robot with a swivelling camera for a head and flashing lights to
patrol a summit venue — arresting the attention of amused passers-by who
stopped to snap selfies.
The white, four-wheeled buggy, measuring about five-feet (1.5 metres),
trundled around the perimeter of a convention centre in the city-state,
providing additional security at a meeting of world leaders.
The so far unnamed robot, decked out with flashing blue and red lights, is
a prototype reportedly developed by the police, which can transmit a 360-
degree picture of the area it is patrolling.
It navigates independently on a pre-mapped route and can avoid obstacles,
local media reported, citing police.
But rather than fearing the long robotic arm of the law, many passers-by
were amused by the device, with some mistaking it for a gigantic toy.
A handful stopped to snap selfies, while one man marched next to it
grinning broadly as it wheeled slowly around near the convention centre.
“It’s so cute, it looks like a toy,” said Chinese holidaymaker Ruan Min,
taking a picture as her four-year-old daughter chased the robot down the
street.
Singapore, known for its strict law and order, has rolled out a major
security operation to secure this week’s meetings, which are organised by the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and attended by 20 world
leaders.