China is deploying AI-based robots in the city of Handan to assist traffic police officers.
China just stepped up its effort to use technology to police the country deploying traffic robots to help law enforcement in the city of Handan in China’s Hebei province.
Xinhua, the state-sponsored news agency reported a team of robots has been deployed to assist traffic police in patrolling, providing citizens with information and offering up accident alerts.
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The artificial intelligence robots have sensors that enable them to move autonomously in every direction similar to a human. These robots can take photos of cars that violated parking rules, verify driver’s licenses and even direct traffic. The government plans to use the robots 24 hours a day, deploying them in public locations including train stations and airports.
Robots developed using AI, big data, cloud computing, lasers
According to another state news agency, the robots were developed using AI, big data, cloud computing and navigation based on lasers. The robots are broken into three categories with the road patrol one resembling a traffic police officer. It dons a yellow uniform and white hat. That robot can identify drivers, take photos of any illegal behavior and reprimand jaywalkers.
The advice traffic robot will be located at vehicle management stations and can answer questions, provide guidance to commuters and Chinese residents and report any suspicious activity to the police. The final robot is designed to alert drivers in passing vehicles if there is a traffic accident the police of handling.
China is no stranger to deploying robots to police citizens
Deploying robots to do the bidding of police officers isn’t anything new for China. Back in 2016, it released its AnBot, which patrols the Shenzhen airport and in 2017 it began deploying the E-Patrol Robot Sheriff to patrol the streets of China. It already relies on advanced technology to monitor its citizens including deploying facial recognition systems to catch criminals and requiring all new cars to have RFID tags so drivers can’t cheat at tollways. A handful of police in the country are now armed with facial recognition glasses that aid in identifying people suspected or wanted for a crime.