Robot guards to patrol South Korean prisons
Robot guards with sensors to detect abnormal behaviour will soon begin patrolling South Korean prisons to ease the burden on their human counterparts, researchers said Thursday.
A group of scientists has developed the robot warders under a one billion won ($850,000) project organised by the Ministry of Knowledge Economy.
The robots -- 1.5 metres (five feet) high and running on four wheels -- will mostly be used at night.
They can connect prisoners with officers through a remote conversation function, according to a statement from the Asian Forum for Corrections (AFC), a South Korea-based group of researchers in criminality and prison policies.
It pioneered the project with the justice ministry's cooperation.
The robots' sensors will enable them to detect abnormalities such as suicidal behaviour and violence and report it to officers in charge, the statement said.
Professor Lee Baik-Chul of Kyonggi University, who led the design process and heads the AFC, said it was intended to let human guards focus more on correction and rehabilitation efforts.
"As we're almost done with creating its key operating system, we are now working on refining its details to make it look more friendly to inmates," Lee was quoted by Yonhap news agency as saying.
Three robots will be tested at a correctional facility in the southeastern city of Pohang next March when development is completed.
South Korea aims to be a world leader in robotics. It has already designed models to teach English in schools, stand guard on the border with North Korea, fight taekwondo bouts, act in plays and clean a home.
(c) 2011 AFP
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Nov 24, 2011
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Woha. What kind of algorithm can do that?
Nov 24, 2011
Rank: 1 / 5 (3)
It might reduce the need to increase profits by imprisoning another million or so Americans.
Nov 24, 2011
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Nov 28, 2011
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Nov 28, 2011
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Pretty certain that these robots will not be armed. Otherwise we'll soon have our first "ED-209" incident.
Nov 30, 2011
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I'll maintain skepticism until I see the results... not to be stereotypical but Asians have a history of making grandiose claims about robotics and then falling well short of those claims.
I would like to know what kind of sensors they are using though, they would have to see in the dark so probably infrared, but I wonder if they do voice recognition or 3D environment mapping or what else.
Also, just because the thing can "see" doesn't mean it will correctly perceive, I bet a guy jerking it would be interpreted as suicidal behavior (assuming it was a shiv in his hand...), or consensual sex as violent behavior... for example.
Nov 30, 2011
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Yes. I was being sarcastic about that algorithm. We're currently nowhere near such capability (even Asians aren't)
I think what they were getting at is having these robots patrol and the video-feed being monitored by some guards in a central location who would then decide whether what they see is suicidal behavior or somesuch.
Or image amps. I once bought an image amp rig from a russian guy who sold off his old army stuff. Incredible what you can see - even in conditions that seem like pitch black darkness to the naked eye.
Nov 30, 2011
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A much better article at this link, which addresses the guns and such (none). Also includes a picture. It also says they've already been tested on the N. Korean border.