Jakarta, CNN Indonesia —
Singapore tested a patrol robot named Xavier some time ago. The plan, this robot will be used to monitor people’s social behavior and give warnings to people who violate the rules of behavior in the country.
Some of the rules monitored are smoking in restricted areas, parking bicycles improperly, and violating social distancing rules due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Although Singapore is known to often restrict civil liberties and strict controls, the presence of this technology still causes unrest among citizens.
One of them comes from Frannie Teo, a 34-year-old research assistant. He was walking around the mall during a recent test robot patrol.
“This reminds me of Robocop,” said Frannie in a The Guardian.
It’s reminiscent of the “dystopian world of robots. I’m just a little skeptical about such a concept.”
Digital rights activist Lee Yi Ting said the devices were the latest way Singaporeans were being watched.
“It all contributes to people’s feelings. Having to pay attention to what they say and what they do in Singapore is much bigger than in other countries,” Lee told AFP.
Despite being criticized, the Singapore government still supports the use of this robot.
The Singapore government claims the patrol robots will not be used to identify or take action against violations that occurred during the trials. This robot is also considered needed to overcome the labor crisis, given the aging population.
“The workforce is actually shrinking,” said Ong Ka Hing, Representative of the Singapore Government Institution that developed the Xavier Robot.
He also added that this robot helps reduce the number of officers needed for foot patrols.
Reportedly, the Singapore Patrol robot has seven cameras. The robot is also capable of issuing warnings to the public and detecting unwanted social behavior.
Channel News Asia reports, once the Xavier robots identify unwanted behavior, they will provide real-time alerts to the command and control center. Not only that, this robot will also display messages on its dashboard to educate the public and prevent inappropriate behavior.
During the trial, Xavier who saw a smoker in a restricted area immediately displayed a message on his interactive dashboard, as well as an audio message asking smokers to quit smoking.
(pwn / bac)
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