If you’re taking a stroll through Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park during the next 2 weeks, you might catch a glimpse of the potential future of safe distancing ambassadors.
Meet SPOT, your friendly neighbourhood robot dog, or safe distancing ambassador.
The 4-legged ‘pooch’ looks strangely similar to the evil robotic dogs from Black Mirror’s ‘Metalhead’ episode, but we’re sure they’ll be a delight and keep us safe instead of terrorising humankind.
Starting today (8 May), SPOT the safe distancing robot will be deployed on a 3km stretch in the River Plains area of the park during non-peak hours.
This is a trial run by the National Parks Board (NParks) and Smart Nation and Digital Government Group (SNDGG) to suss out how successful SPOT might be as an official safe distancing ambassador.
If all goes well, we might continue to see SPOT at other parks too, during peak hours, wrote GovTech.
SPOT is being tested as a courier of sorts, delivering essentials like medicine to patients at Changi Exhibition Centre community isolation facility.
SPOT will remind patrons to keep their 1-metre distance and help to disperse any crowds by playing pre-recorded messages.
During the trial period, SPOT will have at least 1 NParks officer accompanying it while it patrols the park, but it will be remotely controlled for official use.
This reduces any physical contact between staff and the public, and the need for manpower to patrol the parks as well.
Though it’s sad that the future definitely holds a decent degree of safe distancing, at least it’ll be drilled into us with these adorable robots.
Hopefully, they don’t turn on us, and help to keep Singaporeans safe. It’s a viable alternative to safe distancing officers, and could help with small, short deliveries too — very promising.
We wish SPOT all the best in its trial, and hope does a good job at reminding people to keep their distance.
Featured image courtesy of GovTech.
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