China gets futuristic spherical police robot to fight crime; netizens say ‘all it can do is...’

As artificial intelligence and the AI-enabled robots continue to be a big part of our daily lives, China has unveiled a spherical police robot. This advanced robot is designed to assist with law enforcement on both land and water. This police robot does not only chase criminals but is also capable of tracking, capturing, and even combating them.

Spherical police robot: Design and features

This amphibious robot, developed by researchers from Zhejiang University weighs 125 kg and can move at speeds of up to 35 km/h. Its design includes features to maintain stability on rough terrain and resistance to impact, making it versatile for various patrol scenarios.

Equipped with AI and multiple non-lethal tools like net guns, tear spray, and acoustic dispersers, the robot can handle confrontations and aid in close-quarters policing.

According to reports, the AI-based balls can detect “disturbances or abnormalities around them.” They also use facial recognition to detect criminals known to police.

This “attack sphere” robot is also being explored for use in anti-terrorism drills, emergency rescue, and environmental monitoring, particularly in water-based operations.

The development of this robot began in 2017, inspired by research at Uppsala University in Sweden. Its creators aim to make it more cost-effective and versatile for broader applications in public safety, security, and even commercial use.

Check it out:

Sharing a video of the police robot, a page on Instagram wrote: “China just rolled out a spherical police robot that can chase down criminals, shoot nets, and even handle falls from heights! It moves at speeds up to 35 km/h — talk about a futuristic crime fighter!”

Here's how netizens reacted:

Reacting to the video of the futuristic police robot, several users shared their apprehensions on its capabilities to fight crime as they believed that it can only act like a moving surveillance camera or roll over people and has no real use.

“What is that gonna do it nearly cannot keep balance at snail pace,” a user quipped.

“All it can do is take a photo of people and try to match with wanted people and alert cops,” another added.

While one user refered to it as a “Rodocop”, one user called it, “Robot cop”.

“What is it going to do? Roll over the criminal???” questioned a user.

“So instead of fixing crime, they....... put a giant ball out. All of those surveillance cameras, and they chose to pull out a ball. China is a joke,” said a user.

A user highlighted that the spherical police robot “will just be a new soccer ball for rioters”.