Boston Dynamics' Robot Dog Enters the Park As a Security Guard to Disperse the Crowd

As the country gradually resumes work, Boston Dynamics' internet-famous robot dog Spot has also returned to work. This time, it was hired by the Singapore National Parks Board to serve as a park security guard. During the epidemic prevention and control period, it reminded people not to gather.

Spot, the robot dog released by Boston Dynamics, a leading influencer in the artificial intelligence circle, recently found a new job.

The work of the robot dog Spot has always kept pace with the times, and this time it is also related to the current epidemic. This time it was hired by the Singapore government to serve as a security guard in the Civic Park, and its main job is to remind citizens not to gather.

The robot dog Spot acts as a security guard, reminding people not to gather

The idea of hiring Boston Dynamics' robot dog Spot is an experimental project jointly conducted by NParks Singapore National Parks Board and SNDGG Singapore Smart Nation and Digital Government Group.

During the two weeks from May 8 to May 22, Spot will be stationed in several parks managed by Npark to serve as a patrol security guard, reminding people to evacuate and not gather.

Spot is equipped with a video analysis camera developed by GovTech to help estimate the number of visitors in the park and determine the degree of gathering. When it finds a crowd gathering around it, Spot will issue a voice prompt until people keep a reasonable distance.

During the experiment, the park had strict control over Spot's working hours and patrol routes, stipulating that Spot would only patrol within a 3-kilometer diameter range in the park's riverside area during the park's off-peak hours.

And during the test period, there will be a staff member accompanying the patrol.

Currently, Spot has been put into use in Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park in Singapore. Yesterday, the park management was satisfied with its performance during the probation period and plans to deploy Spot in more parks and public places.

There are 360 trades, and I can do any of them.

Spot is a quadruped robot launched by Boston Dynamics in 2016. It can walk autonomously, is equipped with sensors such as cameras, and can also be equipped with robotic arms to perform delicate operations such as grasping.

In 2018, Spot became a new Internet celebrity due to its viral spread on YouTube. In order to adapt to different jobs, Spot can be installed with 4 hardware modules, and its skills can be changed as needed. At the same time, Spot also provides an open API, and users can use software to customize Spot's functions.

Since September 2019, Boston Dynamics has begun to put Spot on the market for commercial use through leasing or sale.

Criminal Detection

In August 2019, the Massachusetts Police Department's bomb disposal squad leased the Spot robot dog from Boston Dynamics for three months of security maintenance and law and order management work.

It is said that the local police tested Spot for half a year before it was officially put into use. However, the use of Spot still caused some controversy, and some people worried that this move would lead to the emergence of violent weaponization of robots.

For this reason, Michael Perry, vice president of Boston Dynamics, said in an interview that they have always maintained a cautious attitude towards the military/police use of robots, and ultimately decided to cooperate in the form of leasing rather than selling.

He also said that there were rules agreed upon by both parties in the lease: the robots must not be used to harm or intimidate others.

Safety inspection

At the beginning of this year, Boston robot dog Spot joined a Norwegian oil company called Aker and was given a work badge and work number. This year, it will officially go on board to work at sea, responsible for the inspection of the hull and equipment.

Career Development at Spot

During the epidemic, robots active in hospitals, hotels, and public places effectively reduced human contact and also played a certain role during the epidemic prevention and control period.

At the Web Summit 2019, Boston Dynamics CEO Marc Raibert pointed out that the company's vision is not to produce household robots, but to focus on industrial robots that help humans handle difficult tasks.

Challenging difficult tasks in real work and replacing human jobs in dangerous/special environments are undoubtedly scenarios where robots and AI can have greater positive impact.

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