They are reminded of Robocop and call to mind a dystopian world.
RoboNarc
Singapore has rolled-out robot cops to catch residents who are not adhering to social distancing guidelines, or engaging in unwelcome social behavior like smoking. Agence France-Presse reports that Singaporeans are fed-up.
For three weeks, two robots were assigned to patrol a shopping center and housing estate. They made sure that residents were not smoking in designated areas and that their bikes were properly parked.
Please keep a distance of one meter, and please limit your group to five people. As quoted by AFP, one robot shouted at innocent elderly bystanders.
The experience evoked memories of Robocop and brought back thoughts of dystopian futures, according to locals.
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All of it contributes to the awareness that people in Singapore need to be more attentive to what they say and do than in other countries, Lee Yi Ting, activist told AFP.
Big Brother
Officials claim that the robots don't identify offenders during trials. They also claim that the nation is experiencing a labor shortage and law enforcement is having difficulty finding enough personnel to patrol the streets.
In Singapore, government surveillance is very widespread. The police received even COVID-related contact-tracing information earlier in the year. This triggered a fierce backlash. A similar reaction was also witnessed when officials deployed robot dogs in September to patrol a Singapore public park.
It is a dystopian vision for the future, in which the government has eyes almost on every facet of public lives. This reality is becoming more difficult to escape for locals.
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READ MORE: Dystopian world - Singapore's patrol robots stoke fears about surveillance state [Agence France-Presse]
Singapore deploys multiple robot cops to police public areas
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