Watch spherical robocops patrol streets in China

The all-terrain police robots with “confrontational capabilities” are being tested on the streets of some Chinese cities.

Strange spherical machines that look like mini Death Stars and can apparently shoot nets to catch criminals were spotted rolling alongside human police officers.

Called RT-G, the machine was developed by the Chinese robotics company Logon Technology, which described it as a “technological breakthrough” in a recent press release.

According to its developers, the round-bellied robocop weighs 125 kilograms, can reach speeds of up to 35 kilometers (22 miles) per hour, and can withstand impact damage of up to four tons.

Videos on social media, including TikTok, showed it most recently deployed on duty in Wenzhou, a major city in China’s eastern Zhejiang province.

@di.q60 Spherical robots patrol the streets of Wenzhou Acting in a sci-fi blockbuster, spherical robots and special police patrol together! Zhejiang University The RT-G spherical robot developed is amphibious, integrating inspection and combat capabilities, It can chase suspect at a high speed of 35km/h. #robot #TechnologicalFrontier #zhejiang #Robot ♬ original sound - Kim

The robot is designed to assist or replace humans in dangerous situations, according to Logon Technology. It uses facial recognition and AI to help law enforcement officers patrol the streets, the firm said.

It also said the robot has “excellent” off-road, as well as amphibious capabilities, with a promotional video showing it operating both on land and water.

China has revealed a spherical police robot designed to autonomously pursue and immobilize criminals by shooting nets and rolling at speeds of up to 35 km/h. pic.twitter.com/nkwRkEpCoA

undefined Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) December 8, 2024

Wang You, an associate professor at Zhejiang University who led the robot’s research team, told the Chinese state-run Global Times that the machine can be enhanced with “confrontational capabilities and the capacity of dealing with threats at close distance.”

The robot can be equipped with net guns, tear spray, and smoke bombs, as well as horns and acoustic wave dispersers, Wang said. He added that there had already been some interest from potential buyers in the Middle East.

Beyond its crime-fighting – or protest-stifling – capabilities, the machine can potentially be used in anti-terrorism drills, firefighting, emergency rescue operations, or even water pollution detection, Wang said.

The sphere could also be adapted for use as a home robot or a toy, which might help lower its manufacturing costs. Currently, production costs range from 300,000 to 400,000 yuan (approximately $41,300 to $55,000), Wang said.

While police use of so-called killer robots – machines capable of using force without human intervention – is a controversial issue in the West, authoritarian China appears to be less hesitant about embracing the technology as a tool of law enforcement.