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Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park’s cutting-edge guardian of safe distancing has made waves big enough abroad to appear on a late-night talk show in the United States, and it’s not because of his adoration.
Like everyone else on the internet, comedian Stephen Colbert couldn’t resist pointing out the similarity between our own robotic public health ambassador and a certain dystopian murder machine from a Black Mirror episode.
The remotely controlled four-legged machine, built by robotics company Boston Dynamics, has been deployed to patrol the park since last Friday (May 8) in a test launched by the Singapore government.
Rather than being tasked with hunting humans, this version of the robot dog is an educated girl, reminding people to stay at least a meter away in a prerecorded female voice.
Friends of mine saw this at Bishan Park today while they were exercising, a great example of advanced technologies to support us on a day to day basis. pic.twitter.com/MEBFYjHIHP
– Craig Kemp (@mrkempnz) May 9, 2020
This surreal and futuristic setting drew Colbert’s attention, enough for the talk show host, who is also trapped in his home, to yell at the Singapore robot dog in its opening segment.
“I’m sure the real robot dog looks and doesn’t feel like that robot at all,” the man commented after jokingly projecting a scene from the Blackhead Metalhead episode.
“… and we will all die,” he said after showing The Straits Times images of the robo-dog in action. “At least this is a cheery yellow! I must say that people would be much more receptive if the dog were cuter, more loving, and less dystopian.”
Despite his kind courtesies, the Boston Dynamics quadruped companion is far more capable of being more than a snitch of social estrangement. Armed with 360-degree vision and the ability to go nimbly where wheeled robots can’t, Spot can open doors on its own, traverse rough terrain, carry loads of up to 14kg, and get up after falling.
You know you are living in the future when there are real commercials for robots.
If the two-week trial is successful in reducing the need for human personnel to patrol the grounds, the National Parks Board may consider deploying the robot in other parts of the country. Spot isn’t even Singapore’s first autonomous safe distance ambassador – the Public Service Board has been using a cute four-wheeled robot for multi-lingual surveillance and message transmission at Bedok Reservoir.
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