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The things my students take for granted
are things I enjoy bringing up in my classes here in China - such as
computers, the internet, and smartphones. I asked my students last
month (March 2021) to do a project about where they think technology
will be when they are my age – by the way, I’m 58 years young and still
ticking. Their reports ranged from cellular-powered planes, driverless
passenger drones, underwater cities out at sea, and an international
space station on the Moon.
Space travel was a huge topic of interest for my students,
who feel that in the not too distant future, they will be able to freely
travel anywhere in the world within a few hours due to being able to
own their very own spacecraft. One student wrote about artificially
intelligent robots. In her vision of the future, you will be able to own
an artificially intelligent robot with internet capabilities sort of
like having a personal assistant that goes everywhere you go.
On April 21 2020 there was a Hi-Tech Fair in Chongqing China.
It was held at the Chongqing National Defense University, a hotbed of
Chinese military innovations. These Hi-Tech fairs are ways for companies
throughout China to show off their technological innovations to the
world.
The Ministry of Public Security was also very excited about
revealing their police robot referred to as Anbot. They boasted about
how Anbot can patrol autonomously and protect against violence or
unrest. The robot is approximately 5 feet tall (1.5 meters) and weighs
roughly 165 pounds (78 kg). The robot can understand Chinese and
English, but it gives you the feel as if you stepped into a sci-fi film
with a more subdued R2D2 from the Star Wars movies.
The robot has enough battery power for 8 hours of operations,
autonomous navigation, and intelligent audiovisual analysis. It can
reach speeds of 18 KMH (approximately 12 MPH) to chase down fleeing
criminals or respond to emergencies. It can also rush over to the scene
if a bystander cries for help, and it can even recharge itself without
human intervention. In addition to standard police patrolling, the Anbot
can undertake riot control, by remotely firing its electroshock
weapons.
One fascinating feature is bystanders and civilians can use
the Anbot to call for help through an SOS button on the robot’s
touchscreen. The National Defense University has programmed the robot to
use its audiovisual sensors to recognize and record illegal activities,
identify fugitives, and autonomously decide where to patrol. The Anbot
has the most advanced facial and audio recognition software so fugitives
beware because very soon there will be no hiding in plain sight.
The robot’s electrically charged riot control tools have
become somewhat controversial especially among University students who
feel it’s being overly emphasized by Anbot’s creators.
The robot has the capability to Taser unruly individuals or
uses another device similar to an extendable cattle prod. It has enough
room to mount other law enforcement gear, like tear gas canisters and
other less-lethal weaponry. One selling tool about the Anbot - it has
enough artificial intelligence to respond to situations without fear or
hesitation. It is being billed as the first intelligent security robot
but it does have its critics.
One obvious drawback is the Anbot is unable to walk up and
downstairs. It is unable to apprehend suspects without knocking them off
their feet or without using its Tasers. The critics point out that
police robots lack social and emotional intelligence, and like all
robotic platforms, they are vulnerable to cyber intrusions.
The critics are correct in pointing out that machines are not
people. The police robots don’t have the human attributes needed to be
effective in apprehending suspects, in analyzing crime scenes, or in
responding to the emotional needs of crime victims.
On the other hand, the Anbot needs minimal human supervision,
it has autonomous response capabilities, and the ability to find
persons of interest by collecting audiovisual information. The Anbot is
not designed to fulfill all the needs of law enforcement but rather it’s
a hi-tech aid in enforcing the law. The Anbot also has its electrical
weaponry for assisting law enforcement officers in riot situations.
I can see police robots, in the not too distant future,
taking a more active part for interested police departments not just in
China but throughout the world.
What was once science fiction in the world of robotics has
now become science reality. I once told my students that very shortly
robots may also take up many of our daily household tasks from cleaning
our homes to picking up groceries.
My students also see a brighter future not just for the world
of robotics but for human relations both globally and domestically and
that is certainly a good thing.
Thomas F O’Neill
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