Weighing 125 kg (276 lbs), this robotic ball resembles something straight out of the Batpod. It’s a self-balancing sphere capable of chasing down criminals at speeds of up to 35 km/h (22 mph) on both land and water, equipped with a variety of non-lethal weapons.

The base platform has been in development for several years and is now commercialized as the Rotunbot RT-G by Logon Technology. The company claims it operates quietly, utilizing gyroscopic self-stabilization to maintain a wide contact patch with the ground.

Figure 1. The self-balancing, amphibious Rotunbot has been enhanced with non-lethal weapons and is currently being tested in police patrol trials in China

Equipped with various sensors, including GPS for positioning, multiple cameras, and ultrasonic sensors, the robot can navigate its environment, avoid collisions with people and obstacles, and track threats and targets. Figure 1 shows the self-balancing, amphibious Rotunbot has been enhanced with non-lethal weapons and is currently being tested in police patrol trials in China.

The robot is tough enough to withstand impacts, allowing it to drop from knee-high ledges or potentially roll down stairs. It handles mud, slush, and mild off-road conditions with ease (though its cameras may get dirty), and is waterproof and buoyant, enabling it to roll into a river and back out if needed.

Currently being tested with police patrols in a commercial area of Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, it has been equipped with crime-fighting tools for law enforcement, including tear gas, smoke bombs, horns, acoustic crowd dispersers, and net shooters to capture and immobilize suspects at close range, according to China’s Global Times.

Watching the videos, it seems the robot police ball is currently operated via remote control, although full autonomy is likely a future goal. It appears somewhat wobbly when making turns, and none of the videos suggest it would be particularly hard to outrun—an enterprising criminal could simply head up some stairs, leaving the robo-ball stuck at the bottom.

However, there are various applications for existing police robots, especially in non-lethal takedowns of dangerous offenders, where this robot might be more effective than current technology. Notably, this is the first security/police bot we've seen specifically designed with pursuit capabilities in mind.

Source: Rotunbot

Cite this article:

Janani R (2024), Chinese Police Test Amphibious Crime-Fighting Robot Sphere , AnaTechmaz, pp.102