Meet Spot, the robot dog in Singapore encouraging social distancing

Photo from Boston Dynamics; Edited in Canva

As we battle against coronavirus disease (COVID-19), there are countries and organizations that continue to try a new way to help people avoid contracting the virus. There are two main ways to avoid the deadly virus: 1) proper hygiene, and 2) social distancing. Let’s look at Singapore as an example. They are trying a new way to encourage social distancing… through a robot dog.

There is a robot dog in Singapore that encourages social distancing

Singapore government announced on May 8, Friday, that it would start deploying Spot, the famous yellow and black canine robot from Boston Dynamics at a local park. The robot dog, then, will patrol the area as it broadcasts a pre-recorded message to visitors the importance of social distancing.

Equipped with cameras, Spot will scan the surroundings and help officials estimate the number of people gathering in parks. In a statement, they detailed that the camera will not track or recognize specific individuals. This way, no personal data will be collected. Its use will specifically remain to encourage social distancing.

Singapore uses Spot in another capacity

Aside from encouraging social distancing, Spot is also used in another capacity- bringing medicine to patients. The robot dog went viral in a series of online videos several years ago. The video also shows that it can run uphill, mount stairs, and can even get you a drink.

Aside from that, Boston Dynamics also use Spot for inspections in construction sites or similar situations. They also deploy Spot for public safety reasons. This includes helping inspect hazardous packages from afar. For now, at least one park ranger will patrol the area along with Spot to encourage social distancing.

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