The government of Singapore announced late last week that it would be trying out a new way to make its residents stay away from each other. They’ve deployed Spot, Boston Dynamics’ famous yellow and black canine robot, at one local park.
The four-legged robot “dog” will patrol the park and broadcast a pre-recorded message to visitors to remind them of the importance of social distancing, according to authorities.
The robot will be fitted with cameras that scan the surroundings and help officials determine the number of people gathering in parks. The government said in a statement:
“These cameras will not be able to track and/or recognize specific individuals, and no personal data will be collected.”
The pilot project will run in a limited trial for two weeks at one park during off-peak hours in an experiment to advance enforcement of social distancing throughout Singapore as it contends with a recent spike in cases.
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If all goes well, authorities will examine expanding the program. In March, the country launched a nationwide contact-tracing app that uses Bluetooth to help users find out if they had close contact with someone confirmed to have been infected.
Recently, Singapore was being praised as one of the countries whose coronavirus response was top-notch.
Then the country was suddenly hit with a second wave of the virus. Clusters that didn’t receive government testing appeared to have proliferated, shooting up the number of cases. Since March 17, Singapore’s number of confirmed coronavirus cases grew from 266 to 21,707 cases, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
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The government has increasingly turned to technology during the coronavirus pandemic, saying that it is also using Spot at a local isolation facility where the robot helps bring medicine to patients.
Several years ago, Spot went viral in a series of online videos several years ago, showing that it could run uphill, mount stairs, and even get you a drink. The robot is typically used for inspections on construction sites or similar situations, according to Boston Dynamics. The company’s website states that it also has been deployed for public safety reasons, such as helping “inspect hazardous packages from afar.”
Singapore’s government said Friday that it had picked the model for its agility, noting:
“Unlike wheeled robots, Spot works well across different terrains and can navigate obstacles effectively, making it ideal for operation in public parks and gardens.”
Authorities said that for now, at least one park ranger will be patrolling the area along with the Spot.
