Robot dogs are being armed with loudspeakers and trained to bark safety instructions at residents in Shanghai, China, where a strict COVID-19 lockdown has just been imposed.
Videos have emerged of the robot dogs walking down empty streets shouting at people to stay at home from a megaphone taped to their backs.
The robots resemble 'AlphaDogs', Chinese-built robot dogs which use AI to 'see' and 'hear'. They're modelled on 'Spot', a four-legged quadruped robot built by Boston Dynamics.
It seems that the local authorities ran out of budget after they bought the dog though, as they clearly had to use sticky tape to attach the megaphone to the robotic critter.
Robot dogs aren't the only machine being used to enforce a strict new lockdown, with authorities reportedly deploying drones to issue instructions to residents.
Shanghai, China's largest city by population, is currently facing its strictest lockdown of the pandemic after cases of the virus spiked in March. Residents are unable to leave their homes to take the bins out and socialising is banned.
Shanghai reported less than 8,500 cases on April 3, compared to the UK's 143,300 infections over the weekend. However, it seems that Chinese authorities are taking no chances as other countries relax restrictions.
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Robot dogs, aka 'quadrupeds', are growing increasingly sophisticated, using complex AI to navigate their environments and stay upright.
A Boston Dynamics quadruped named 'Spot' has been sent to explore the ancient Roman city of Pompeii which was destroyed almost 2000 years ago by a volcanic eruption.
Pompeii has been a target for tomb raiders and archaeologists alike for centuries, but now the city is getting so old that much of it can't be safely explored. 'Spot' will allow caretakers to map dangerous areas and keep an eye on things.
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