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Robotcop III Set to Fight Crime in Hong Kong

Roland Piquepaille writes "There is a new cop patrolling the streets of Hong Kong and teaching children how to prevent crime. But it's a robot named Robotcop III, designed and built in Hong Kong, according to Channel Newsasia. Robotcop III can walk, dance, move in any direction, display videos and answer questions asked in Cantonese and English. The previous versions of Robotcops, introduced in 1988 and 1995, were imported from the U.S. and taught 800,000 school children how to fight crime. The promoters of Robotcop III hope it will do even better. More details and references are available in this overview including a photo of Robotcop III patrolling on Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) campus."

38 of 215 comments (clear)

  1. Can it navigate stairs by Eric+Smith · · Score: 4, Funny
    better than ED-209?

    And hopefully they haven't programmed it with hundreds of conflicting directives.

    1. Re:Can it navigate stairs by drgonzo59 · · Score: 5, Funny

      But, can it eat doughnuts, drink coffee, and racially profile people, that's the real question!

    2. Re:Can it navigate stairs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

      can it ... racially profile people

      They are all Chinese. They're all suspect!

  2. Xiong meng de kuang ren by rune-bare-rune · · Score: 4, Funny

    No, that's not it.
    What is cantonese for "Your move, creep", again?

    Rune -- Change is good, you go first

  3. I want one by BillsPetMonkey · · Score: 4, Funny

    dance, move in any direction, display videos and answer questions

    My local copper just sits in his panda car eating donuts.

    --
    "It's not your information. It's information about you" - John Ford, Vice President, Equifax
  4. Better hope no kids were scared by Dr.Who by baryon351 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Better hope no kids were scared by Dr.Who, cos that thing looks too too familiar.

    Daleks take hong kong!

  5. So I guess... by Nplugd · · Score: 5, Funny

    this thing will fight crime by making criminals laugh to death?
    It looks like a bad episode of Lost in Space.

    --
    Je n'ai pas d'avenir Je n'ai qu'un destin Celui de n'être qu'un souvenir C'est pour demain
    1. Re:So I guess... by essreenim · · Score: 1, Funny

      Hmmm.

      RobotcopIII vs. the tin can from the wizard of ozz

      My moneys on the tin can

  6. Dance machines... by MagicDude · · Score: 3, Funny

    Yeah, then can dance, but they can only do The Robot. Why couldn't these guys be in Japan? I'd like to see them on the DDR machines.

  7. okay by geekoid · · Score: 4, Funny

    I can't take any asian Robo-"Anything " seriously unless it is at LEAST 15 meters tall, with 6 missiles and a giant sword.
    A flame thrower would be nice, be obviously that could look silly.

    --
    The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
    1. Re:okay by psoriac · · Score: 1, Funny

      In the photo in the article, it sorta looks like it's waving a giant flaming sword in a menacing manner... if you squint kinda hard and close one eye.

      --
      I browse Slashdot at +3, Funny
    2. Re:okay by Felinoid · · Score: 2, Funny

      In the photo in the article, it sorta looks like it's waving a giant flaming sword in a menacing manner... if you squint kinda hard and close one eye.
      And then poke that eye out....

      --
      I don't actually exist.
  8. impressive by nmoog · · Score: 4, Funny
    Robotcop III can walk, dance, move in any direction...
    Wow... thats 2 more things than regular cops can do!
    1. Re:impressive by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      Yes, but can it eat donuts and drink coffee..???

  9. Me first! Meeee first!! by Debug+This · · Score: 0, Funny

    Let me be the first to say that I, for one, welcome our new cyber-policeman overlords.

    1. Re:Me first! Meeee first!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      (might as well get it over with)

      Can you imagine a beowulf cluster of Robotcops?

    2. Re:Me first! Meeee first!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Step 1: Build Robocop Step 2: ??? Step 3: Profit!

    3. Re:Me first! Meeee first!! by JeremyALogan · · Score: 2, Funny

      in soviet russia robot cops police YOU!

      wait...

  10. Sexual Harassment Robot by drgonzo59 · · Score: 2, Funny
    "Now kids, do you know that when one little robot touches another little robot's MIDI interface it's sexual harassment. That makes me a saaaad robot."

    Yes, yes, I know it's from a South Park Episode link to script

  11. Nemesis by BenBenBen · · Score: 2, Funny

    He better watch out for TED-209

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    The Slashdot Paradox: "100% Overrated"
  12. But.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Will it run linux?

  13. Triad retaliates by sssmashy · · Score: 2, Funny

    It might cost around HK$300,000 to develop and build, but the service it provides the Hong Kong crime prevention drive is priceless. Like its predecessors, its main role is to spread anti-theft and anti-triad messages.

    Mean \while, the Triad is has spent HK$300,000 trying to develop a martial arts technique that can take out a 300 lb. steel-clad robot. No luck so far.

    The Triad's livelihood has been threatened by the robot's celebrity: organized crime has been reduced by 45% among school-age Hong Kong youngsters, ever since "the robot showed them the way".

    On the other hand, robot-related fatalities were up by 600% at the start of the year, but declined sharply when officials decided to stop using the robot to demonstrate handgun safety in school auditoriums.

  14. Ok, all Slashdot comedians.. by superhoe · · Score: 2, Funny
    Answer to this question:

    What are its four prime directives?

    --

    -el

    1. Re:Ok, all Slashdot comedians.. by superhoe · · Score: 2, Funny
      1) Serve the public trust
      2) Protect the innocent
      3) Uphold the law

      Yes, all correct so far.
      But I remember also the prime directive four:

      4) Thou shalt never, ever, raise upon any SCO.. MSN.. damn.. errmm.. OCP official!

      --

      -el

  15. "PLEASE PUT DOWN YOUR WEAPON!" by alien_blueprint · · Score: 1, Funny

    "YOU HAVE FIFTEEN SECONDS TO COMPLY!"

    Executive sycophant puts down weapon ...

    *BUDDA* *BUDDA* *BUDDA* *BUDDA* *BUDDA*
    *BUDDA* *BUDDA* *BUDDA* *BUDDA* *BUDDA*

    Executive sycophant #2: "Maybe we shouldn't have outsourced the code to Elbonia for *this* project ... especially if we were going to do the demo in the boardroom with live ammunition."

  16. Robot Monkey Apocalypse! by SteveXE · · Score: 2, Funny

    Where is Paul Verhoeven when you need him!? Whats next, Robots that drive cars! Matrix here we come, someone call James Cameron and that kid from the Wonder Years quick!

  17. Vandalised nothing!! by Ratface · · Score: 2, Funny

    If I were a criminal, I would steal the robot in a flash. I've seen quite a few designs for robot guard dogs / sentries / police etc and the main problem imho is that the value of them tends to make them more valuable than what they are guarding!

    --

    A little planning goes a long way...
  18. I, for one, welcome our new Robotcop overlords. by rock_climbing_guy · · Score: 1, Funny

    I, for one, welcome our new Robotcop overlords.

    --
    Wh47 d1d j00 541, 31337 15n't t3h r0xor5 ne m0r3???
  19. List RobotCop Prime Directives by PhotoBoy · · Score: 5, Funny

    DIRECTIVE 1 Serve the public trust

    DIRECTIVE 2 Protect the innocent

    DIRECTIVE 3 Uphold the law

    DIRECTIVE 4 Never oppose an OCP officer

    DIRECTIVE 5 Change name slighly to prevent copyright lawsuit

    1. Re:List RobotCop Prime Directives by superyooser · · Score: 4, Funny

      And the directives go in ROBOTS.TXT.

  20. Expensive? by jez9999 · · Score: 1, Funny

    It might cost around HK$300,000 to develop and build, but the service it provides the Hong Kong crime prevention drive is priceless.

    I bet it's is - you couldn't get this kind of comedy from regular stand up!

  21. if its anything like ROBOCOP 3... by aixou · · Score: 2, Funny

    then it'll be in the bargain bin in about 3 months for all of us to enjoy.

  22. Re:No robocop by Dogtanian · · Score: 2, Funny

    This is more like the info boxes you find in airports.

    My family was wiped out by a rampaging infopoint, you insensitive clod.

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    "Slashdot - News and Chat Sites Deviant". (Click "homepage" link above for details).
  23. They Fight Crime! by Brendan+Byrd · · Score: 1, Funny

    He's a robot cop patrolling the streets of Hong Kong. She's a eight-year-old school student trying to learn the ropes of crime-fighting. They fight crime!

    Try again!

  24. Re:No robocop by Gubbe · · Score: 2, Funny

    Don't be so sure. It's obviously big enough to contain an actual human being who drives the thing around all day.

    Oh, by the way, this thing is already equipped for movies: If, in a movie, it just "happened" to go rampant and start killing people and taking negligible damage from the gunships and tanks that attack it, the day can only be saved by our smart and brave hero (preferably a 15-year girl in school uniform) who finds the Big Red Button (3.5 MB) behind its neck. (also faintly visible in the small photo linked in parent post)

  25. Re:There's no mention of... by tiled_rainbows · · Score: 2, Funny

    I knew a guy at school who managed to spray-paint his tag on a real cop (across the back of his body armour, during a rather rowdy demostration).Yeah sure, it took balls and a kind of self-destructive personality to attempt it, but it did show that it was possible. So even real cops are not immune.

    Would have loved to have seen that guy's face when he got back to the staiton and took his body armour off. "Why, those.... those pesky kids!!!"

  26. Oh no!! by SuperKendall · · Score: 2, Funny

    Robotcop III can walk, dance, move in any direction...

    It's the arrivial of real life Cop Rock!

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  27. I was going to make a Robocop joke by xant · · Score: 2, Funny

    But I see you guys got it covered.

    I'm gonna head over to a Microsoft thread to find a place to stick an awesome "Trustworthy Computing" joke I just thought up.

    --
    It's rare that you're presented with a knob whose only two positions are Make History and Flee Your Glorious Destiny.