Tear gas and net cannon: this spherical robot is the new recruit of the Chinese police

Whether it rains, winds or snows, nothing will prevent the new recruit of the Chinese police from carrying out his patrol. And for good reason, it is an autonomous robot. Developed by the company Logon Technology, the RT-G agent can identify and immobilize criminals.

Global momentum towards the integration of AI technologies in policing

The spherical object weighs only 125 kilograms and can reach a speed of 35 km/h, points out Interesting Engineering. This asset could prove decisive for going on rough terrain, as shown in a promotional video where the RT-G operates in dirt and mud.

Logon Technology’s solution is part of the global dynamic which sees the police equipping themselves with artificial intelligence solutions. In Singapore, autonomous drones were used during the Covid-19 pandemic to take photos and enforce social distancing. Even before that, Dubai had recruited a humanoid robot in 2017. However, the machine was content to provide information to passers-by.

A robot with its own arsenal to neutralize criminals

But with the RT-G, it is more a question of an advanced field police officer as imagined by Paul Verhoeven in the 1980s with his film Robocop. Because if it does not take the form of agent Alex Murphy, hero of the feature film, the Logon Technology robot has its own arsenal, although non-lethal: net cannon, tear gas sprayers, grenades and devices of dispersions.

With its facial recognition capabilities, the robot is touted for its role as an urban patrol assistant. Still in a presentation video, the resistance capabilities of the RT-G are highlighted with a bandit smashing a baseball bat on the sphere. Not enough to undermine the robustness of the machine, which is able to withstand shocks of up to four tonnes.