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Chinese Security Robot Draws Dalek, Terminator Comparisons (abc.net.au)

Posted by msmash on from the so-it-begins dept.

An anonymous reader writes: China's first "intelligent security robot," which reportedly includes an "electrically charged riot control tool" and an SOS button for people to notify police, has been compared to the killer Dalek from Doctor Who after being shown off at a tech fair. Intelligence agency whistleblower Edward Snowden shared the news on Twitter with the caption: "Surely this will end well." The robot, unveiled at the 12th Chongqing Hi-Tech Fair, is 1.49 metres tall, weighs 78 kilograms, has a claimed top speed of 18 kilometres per hour and an operating duration of eight hours between charges, according to a report by People's Daily Online. Dubbed AnBot, it was built by the National Defence University in China and has "sensors that mimic the human brain, eyes and ears." The report said AnBot represented breakthroughs in "key technologies including low-cost autonomous navigation and intelligent video analysis" and would play an important role in anti-terrorism and anti-riot operations. AnBot has an SOS button for people to use to notify police of a problem, but it is unclear what criteria AnBot uses to assess threats autonomously.

111 comments

  1. Machine cloth by slashrio · · Score: 1

    is the answer to all 'electrically charged' riot gear.

    --
    "Trump!!", the new Godwin.
    1. Re:Machine cloth by Penguinisto · · Score: 1

      Depends - is the electricity delivered via blunt contact points, or by way of darts (or otherwise piercing) contact points (the latter is how the Taser product works).

      It wouldn't take much to bolster those darts into something that does more than partially penetrate skin.

      I'm saying that properly grounded plate mail may be the order of the day if you want proof against either one, but even that won't stop CS Tear Gas... and it wouldn't take much to bolt on a directional ear-splitting speaker that emits noises which would incapacitate.

      TL;DR: there's more than one way to skin the cat in this case.

      --
      Quo usque tandem abutere, Nimbus, patientia nostra?
    2. Re:Machine cloth by Holi · · Score: 1

      So it won't stop tear gas, who cares. Subject yourself to tear gas a lot and you will find it becomes far less effective on you.

      --
      Sorry, teleporters just kill you and then make a copy. A perfect, soul-less copy.
    3. Re:Machine cloth by slashrio · · Score: 1

      Shooting darts at people is not what you want an autonomous robot to do.
      And how about salt water spray?
      Tear gas: --> gas mask?
      Sound: --> PU foam in the orifices of the robot? Or plain ear plugs?
      Or just topple the whole thing.
      I mean, there's so much one could do...

      --
      "Trump!!", the new Godwin.
  2. Can it do stairs? by Joe_Dragon · · Score: 4, Funny

    Can it do stairs?

    1. Re:Can it do stairs? by npslider · · Score: 2

      That feature is coming in the next software update.

    2. Re:Can it do stairs? by TechyImmigrant · · Score: 4, Funny

      Can it do stairs?

      That depends on your definition of 'do'.

      --
      I should use this sig to advertise my book ISBN-13 : 978-1501515132.
    3. Re:Can it do stairs? by Thud457 · · Score: 2

      Did you see the picture with the fine article? Of course you didn't.

      Weebles wobble but they don't fall down.

      So it can go down stairs. Up is a problem they're still working on.

      --

      the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

    4. Re:Can it do stairs? by jellomizer · · Score: 5, Funny

      It doesn't need to climb stairs. It levels buildings

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    5. Re:Can it do stairs? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, looks like it would be able to roll downstairs :-/

      But if it can 'mimic the human brain, eyes and ears', why do it need a "call the police button"? Anyone with brain, eyes and ears will know when police is needed, so this 'mimicing' cannot be all that good.

      It'd be interesting seeing this thing trying to deal with some punks spraying grafitti. It'd get a new paint job, particularly the lenses. . .

    6. Re:Can it do stairs? by NotDrWho · · Score: 1

      Well, it can go DOWN one flight of stairs pretty quickly.

      --
      SJW's don't eliminate discrimination. They just expropriate it for themselves.
    7. Re:Can it do stairs? by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 1

      Can it do stairs?

      It can protect Grandma at the bottom of them.

      --
      #DeleteChrome
    8. Re:Can it do stairs? by Matheus · · Score: 1

      "Drop your weapon... YOU HAVE 10 SECONDS TO COMPLY!!!"

      https://a1-images.myspacecdn.c...

    9. Re:Can it do stairs? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The Shover Robots are there to help you down the stairs

  3. Translation needed by Fire_Wraith · · Score: 5, Funny

    So, how do you say "EXTERMINATE" in Mandarin Chinese?

    1. Re:Translation needed by jfdavis668 · · Score: 2

      Needs a plunger on the front, too.

    2. Re:Translation needed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Jiaomie

    3. Re:Translation needed by Maxo-Texas · · Score: 1

      æ®

      TiÇZn

      --
      She was like chocolate when she drank... semi-sweet at first and then increasingly bitter.
    4. Re:Translation needed by dsmatthews9379 · · Score: 1

      I'd tell you but that would require Unicode. :-)

    5. Re:Translation needed by Maxo-Texas · · Score: 1

      Grr..

      Ideogram / Tien.

      Is there some way I can change slashdot not to mangle unicode?

      --
      She was like chocolate when she drank... semi-sweet at first and then increasingly bitter.
    6. Re:Translation needed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      We thought that was the joke.

    7. Re:Translation needed by Eunuchswear · · Score: 1

      Yes, it's called Soylent News.

      --
      Watch this Heartland Institute video
  4. ED-209 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Please put down your first post.
    You have 20 seconds to comply.

    1. Re:ED-209 by NotInHere · · Score: 1

      For context: https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

    2. Re:ED-209 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "I'm now authorized........to be loyal as a puppy....."

    3. Re:ED-209 by HumanWiki · · Score: 1

      "I'm now authorized........to be loyal as a puppy....."

      I refused to admit I've seen 3.

  5. Oh noes!! by the_skywise · · Score: 1, Insightful

    It's gonna get me with its weaponized plunger!!!!

    (Actually that styling looks like a cross between a Portal turret and QT...)

  6. can be disabled with spraypaint by HongPong · · Score: 5, Insightful

    A well placed water balloon filled with paint, or spraypaint, would render it impossible to use the cameras. It would have to be protected from such low fi techniques somehow. There is always the question of asymmetry - cheap countermeasures against expensive tech. While very dystopian, this seems within the same bounds.

    --
    --hongpong.com
    1. Re:can be disabled with spraypaint by AntronArgaiv · · Score: 1

      A well placed water balloon filled with paint, or spraypaint, would render it impossible to use the cameras.

      A paintball gun would be more fun...

    2. Re:can be disabled with spraypaint by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 1

      A well placed water balloon filled with paint, or spraypaint, would render it impossible to use the cameras.

      Paintball gun. Make sure it has a bright-colored tip to distinguish it from a real weapon. Otherwise, a human cop might shoot first and ask questions later.

    3. Re:can be disabled with spraypaint by fustakrakich · · Score: 1

      Silly String and fish nets, spray foam for the infrared and microphones, should stop everything but the taser and the tear gas. It does shoot tear gas, right? And a flame thrower?

      --
      “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
    4. Re:can be disabled with spraypaint by jeffmflanagan · · Score: 1

      That's already been tried on a Dalek, and it didn't work, but it'll probably work on this Gen 1 machine.

    5. Re:can be disabled with spraypaint by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes, Chicago, one of the center pieces of police violence against blacks, that hot spot of Republicans....Why is there so many "D" next to the elected officials names, surely they know that Republicans get an "R" next to their names.

    6. Re:can be disabled with spraypaint by rmdingler · · Score: 0

      I understand your confusion, but actually, our police kill folks of all race, religions, creeds, and inclinations... the black one just get more press.

      --
      Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.

      Ernest Hemingway

    7. Re:can be disabled with spraypaint by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      rmdingler's statement is true. The guardian has a great interactive database. http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2015/jun/01/the-counted-map-us-police-killings

    8. Re:can be disabled with spraypaint by SeaFox · · Score: 1

      A well placed water balloon filled with paint, or spraypaint, would render it impossible to use the cameras. It would have to be protected from such low fi techniques somehow.

      A well placed water balloon filled with paint, or spraypaint, would render a human guard impossible to use his eyes, too.

    9. Re:can be disabled with spraypaint by operagost · · Score: 2

      But they use face shields, and they're capable of wiping them off or getting a replacement if needed.

      --

      Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
    10. Re:can be disabled with spraypaint by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Huh? That guardian link shows that police kill blacks at a per capita rate over twice that of whites right at the top of the freaking page. It's not just a matter of press, but a real and significant discrepancy.

    11. Re:can be disabled with spraypaint by Z80a · · Score: 1

      Its possible to stop those with an hydrophobic treatment.

    12. Re:can be disabled with spraypaint by Anonymous+Cow+Ward · · Score: 1

      But when you adjust for frequency of crimes committed (blacks in the US do commit more crimes per capita), it's roughly equivalent.

      --
      Examine even your most deeply held beliefs. Nobody is always right.
    13. Re:can be disabled with spraypaint by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not really. It's not easy to carry around a balloon full of paint, spraypaint has an effective range of about a foot. And if you do blind it, it can transmit an 'I've been painted' alarm.

      Reminds me of a RPG I played where a buddy of mine had to give his character a weakness. He was playing a vampire, so he decided 'a wooden stake through heart will kill me' was an appropriate weakness...

  7. Chinese Security Robot Draws Dalek by davidwr · · Score: 0

    Wow, a security robot and an artist too? Cool!

    Does it draw using its victims' blood or does it use crayons and art pencils like most human artists?

    Drawing of some Daleks, NOT made by this security robot

    --
    Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
    1. Re:Chinese Security Robot Draws Dalek by npslider · · Score: 2

      As a robot designed to potentially draw using its victims' blood, does it include a Universal Serial Killer Bus port?

  8. Already been done in the US by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    In use in Silicon Valley since last summer:

    http://www.fastcoexist.com/3049708/meet-the-scary-little-security-robot-thats-patrolling-silicon-valley

    1. Re:Already been done in the US by cliffjumper222 · · Score: 2

      I was going to comment on this too. They are roaming around the Stanford shopping center doing mall-cop duties. They're very polite and usually get attacked by little kids jumping in front of them to make them stop. From what I could tell they don't do much except video everything (they have 4 or more cameras).

  9. Looks more like an Egg... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ... egg... egg... eggsterminate!!

  10. EXTERMINATE THE LUDDITES. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    AppBot runs appy app apps to exterminate LUDDITES! You'd better switch to AppOS or Appdows 10 if you don't want to be EXTERMINATED!

    Apps!

  11. I prefer to kill bacon by davidwr · · Score: 2

    baconsterminate! baconsterminate! hashbrownsterminate! pancakesterminate!

    --
    Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
    1. Re:I prefer to kill bacon by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      What? No soufflé?

    2. Re:I prefer to kill bacon by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Where did you get the milk for the soufflé?

  12. Not IF but WHEN by Sir_Eptishous · · Score: 1

    While billed as the "first intelligent security robot," Anbot will not be a replacement for human police anytime soon.

    --
    We play the game with the bravery of being out of range
  13. Same flaws as daleks too :P by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    • 1. Stairs?
    • 2. You can just push it over.

    Also I wonder how fast it actually turns, as it looks like it's tazer is in a fixed position so the it's effectiveness to track a moving target is going to be a bit limited.

    1. Re:Same flaws as daleks too :P by tehlinux · · Score: 1

      As opposed to a regular security guard with a tazer?!

      --
      Most linux users don't know this, but the man pages were named after Chuck Norris. Chuck Norris fsck'ing hates noobs!
  14. Tigers however do not relish the peach. by Thud457 · · Score: 1

    A paintball gun would be identified as a false positive for a gun.
    So the robot would release the tiger.

    --

    the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

    1. Re:Tigers however do not relish the peach. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That kinda sounds like a Kung Fu move:
      "Robot Releases Tiger"

    2. Re:Tigers however do not relish the peach. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      A paintball gun would be identified as a false positive for a gun.

      So the robot would release the tiger.

      That sounds like a Kung Fu move:

      "Robot Releases Tiger"

    3. Re:Tigers however do not relish the peach. by mlts · · Score: 2

      Or a law gets passed that makes attacks on a robo-patrolling unit be able to be treated the same as if done to a human, with deadly force able to be used. This is already being proposed with K-9 units, so that someone who dispatches a dog would get capital murder.

    4. Re:Tigers however do not relish the peach. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Huh... I kind of got the impression cops enjoy killing the family chihuahua in front of little Timmy. No equal protection under the law for civilian canines? That can't be right...

    5. Re:Tigers however do not relish the peach. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's only Muslim cops.

    6. Re:Tigers however do not relish the peach. by rahvin112 · · Score: 1

      You will already get charged with assaulting an officer if you hit the dog that is biting you. That's like 5 years guaranteed and a felony conviction on your record that needs to be reported on every job application as assaulting a police officer.

      I love dogs. But treating attacking a K-9 unit the same as attacking a human is ridiculous. It's not that much different than charging them with assault for putting a finger on them, which is also ridiculous and common.

  15. There's am app for that by sjames · · Score: 1

    here.

  16. iDalek by fahrbot-bot · · Score: 1

    From the photo, looks like an iDalek for when Apple EXTERMINATES the competition.

    --
    It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
    1. Re:iDalek by npslider · · Score: 1

      iRobot beat them to it

  17. What to see them? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Go to Stanford Mall (Palo Alto), they got something very similar, if not exactly these, scattered around the mall. They don't appear to be mobile, though, unless they are in parked mode.

    People gather around them to examine them. Personally, I think it's a great idea.

    1. Re:What to see them? by codeAlDente · · Score: 1

      Yes! This!! Silicon Valley should provide the metaphor by which all of the world should be governed! Let's all welcome our new robot overlords!

      --
      He once inserted random mutations into his code, just so he could have the experience of debugging.
    2. Re:What to see them? by cliffjumper222 · · Score: 1

      They are mobile. And they look pretty much 100% the same.

  18. Hate by Xenx · · Score: 1

    But, are the robots capable of the levels of hatred necessary to be good Dalek?

  19. SOS Button... Yeah right! by fustakrakich · · Score: 1

    Just try reaching for it while the thing is tasing you...

    --
    “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
  20. The Question Is... by npslider · · Score: 1

    Is it programmed with the voice of an Austrian-born American actor?

  21. Chopping Mall (1986) by Smidge204 · · Score: 2

    Since it's a security robot, I immediately thought of the 1986 movie "Chopping Mall"

    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt00...

    The resemblance is a bit better, too, I think.
    =Smidge=

    1. Re:Chopping Mall (1986) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Came here to say this. Wish I had mod points for you.

  22. Boring Robots by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'd prefer the ED-209 robot from Robocop.

    1. Re:Boring Robots by Holi · · Score: 1

      Still can't do stairs

      --
      Sorry, teleporters just kill you and then make a copy. A perfect, soul-less copy.
  23. Will it blend? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    But will it blend? Better yet, what happens if you taser the robot?

  24. I wonder how well it would deal with... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    an intruder carrying a poster with a life-size picture of a stepladder and paint buckets. Hold the poster between yourself and the robot, and its visual-recognition will have, well, an INTERESTING time of it...

  25. Yeah, where the fuck is the plunger? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Or the round things. I have no idea what they are, but I've always loved the round things.

    1. Re:Yeah, where the fuck is the plunger? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why, didn't you know? Those are their eggs!

    2. Re:Yeah, where the fuck is the plunger? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Those are their eggs!

    3. Re:Yeah, where the fuck is the plunger? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How reliable a source is a dalek in the asylum?

  26. Nahhhhh... by whitroth · · Score: 1

    It looks like a mobile ATM.

    I am waiting, though, for the first prankster who expoxies a toilet plunger on the front.....

                          mark

  27. No Ethics or Morality Circuits will be installed by NEDHead · · Score: 1

    For fear that the units will decide to turn on their creators

  28. Knightscope robot? by mlts · · Score: 2

    This looks a lot like a Knightscope robot which is used to patrol Microsoft and Apple campuses. The robots in themselves at worst make a siren noise when toppled over, but are a good way to corner and take pictures of trespassers or would-be vandals.

    Of course, the same concerns happen... what keeps someone from donning a hoodie and sky mask, shoving the thing over just as an act of vandalism? It will make noise, but by the time actual humans with weapons get there, the perps will be long gone.

  29. Not to be confused with sperm bank donation robot by labradort · · Score: 1

    Hopefully people can tell the difference between the two types of Chinese robots

    There was a story here awhile ago about the sperm donor robot:

    http://www.examiner.com/articl...

  30. Vibranator by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Look more like an over grown vibrator.

    Please say it vibrates.

  31. Mod parent funny by davidwr · · Score: 1

    Well played.

    --
    Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
  32. Dunno about USkB ports by davidwr · · Score: 1

    But I bet it comes with an Etherkiller cable.

    --
    Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
    1. Re:Dunno about USkB ports by npslider · · Score: 1

      The cable is terminated with a T-1000 connector

  33. Dalek? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Much nicer than "That looks like a huge butt plug!".

  34. represents breakthroughs in "key technologies"? by Bearhouse · · Score: 4, Informative

    Including "low cost" navigation and AI...yeah, right.

    What did they do, steal the latest tech from MIT and Google?

    Translated: "Latest piece of over-hyped junk that will fall down the first stairs it comes to whilst trying to zap a handicapped person with metal crutches"

    1. Re:represents breakthroughs in "key technologies"? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It will get better. The robot looks very similar to an existing Knightscope model, and just like the Great Firewall of China, the attempts were laughable at first... but the laughing stopped after a number of iterations honed things. Right now, it seems like a novelty, but robo-gunners are already more accurate than people, so sticking some type of tear gas launcher or fully automatic firearm is doable, and it would be truly deadly. From there, it wouldn't be hard to combine it with vocals that anyone unauthorized within 3-6 meters of it will be perforated, and it will be a complete replacement for security guards in a lot of places.

    2. Re:represents breakthroughs in "key technologies"? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's worth keeping in mind that the state-run People's Daily has a long history of "enhancing" the truth for the good of the party.

  35. Re:Not to be confused with sperm bank donation rob by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Warning: NSFW!!!!

  36. Best weapons to face this... by Maxo-Texas · · Score: 1

    1) Paintball guns.
    2) Spray paint cans
    3) Sticky opaque food
    4) Bumper stickers

    --
    She was like chocolate when she drank... semi-sweet at first and then increasingly bitter.
  37. HALT! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Did anyone else think of the security robots from WALL-E? Probably just as effective.

  38. Our ruling class is preparing for the future by rsilvergun · · Score: 1

    So, what are the rest of us doing?

    --
    Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
  39. Radar by rsilvergun · · Score: 1

    And Lidar. Plus cheap cameras mean you could stud the outside surface with sensors. Multiple droids could gun down the protestors long before they were camera blind. While your at it you can make buying paint in those quantities hard. See, it's easy to solve technical problem when your working for the ruling class. You've got an entire civilization bent to your whims...

    --
    Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
  40. Asterisk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It has enough battery power for 8 hours of operations*, autonomous navigation and intelligent video analysis, and can reach speeds of 18 kmh to chase down fleeing criminals or respond to emergencies.

    * Based on average electroshock duration of 5 seconds at an average of 2 times per hour.

  41. We have those here too by saccade.com · · Score: 1

    Here's one spotted at a local mall: https://twitter.com/isonno/sta...

    1. Re:We have those here too by cliffjumper222 · · Score: 1

      Good photo. The kids seem far more fearless than the adults with these droids!

    2. Re:We have those here too by saccade.com · · Score: 1
      What's really funny is a bit after I snapped the photo, the girl reached up and pressed the big red CALL SECURITY button. Everybody scattered as the robot was chanting SECURITY HAS BEEN ALERTED....SECURITY HAS BEEN ALERTED...

      My wife talked to a clerk at the mall who was creeped out when she walked past the droid and it said HELLO...WE MEET AGAIN!

  42. Over/under on first fatality? by operagost · · Score: 1

    Maybe 2 years before one kills a human?

    --

    Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
  43. Big Brother... by dlingman · · Score: 1

    Who knew that EVE had a big brother...

  44. Step up your game, China by sootman · · Score: 1

    I want ED-209s patrolling the streets. This thing looks like an ATM on wheels.

    --
    Dear Slashdot: next time you want to mess with the site, add a rich-text editor for comments.
  45. These are going to be AWSOME. by PJ6 · · Score: 1

    No, seriously. Lemme 'splain.

    Instead of paintball, you and your buddies go for a weekend of defending a "fort" against robots just like these. The robots don't have your agility or intelligence, but they can taze you. And you can beat the crap out of them with melee weapons of your choice. In fact, they're designed for it - to be "broken", and rebuilt later - but it takes a lot of force. You and your buddies get to go nuts, and the situation can be cranked up to be nuts, too, all the way up to being overrun.

    I would pay so much money just to try something like that.

  46. Blue LEDs by CanEHdian · · Score: 1

    This robot will be more effective if the semi-circle of blue LEDs (halfway up the top dome) turn red just before it's about to attack...

    --
    When the copyright term is "forever minus a day", live every day like it's the last.
  47. uric by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Obviously it will be used exclusively to spy on the citizenry, so it's a robot rat.

  48. Stop with the killer robots already by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Goddammit enough with the killer robots already!!
    When the hell are we going to have functional fembots???!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?! LOL

  49. Shades of things to come... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    We welcome our Skynet overlords. All our base are yours.

  50. Cost comparison by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    His much does this bot cost? How does that compare to the free market cost of a human being in China? Will this product succeed? You be the judge.