In 1988, RoboCop gave audiences a glimpse into what the future of law and order could be – now the Japanese are set to make fiction a reality as a real-life version of the police-bot will be deployed in the run up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The ‘Perseusbot‘ – named after ‘Perseus’, the legendary hero of Greek mythology who defeated monsters, will use AI technology and a security camera while moving around to detect unusual objects or people who are acting strangely.
‘Perseusbot‘ will make its debut next month on a trial basis at a Tokyo train station as part of the country’s ‘decarbonisation plan’ for the upcoming Olympics.
The robotic guard will be able to avoid obstacles and travel over uneven pavement during patrols – handy – it will also be able to predict if a conflict between people may break out as it’s able to track if aggressive movements are made.
The 6ft robot will also be able to send alerts to security staff if it comes across objects and bags left unattended for a long period of time.
Japan, who are thought to be one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world, are planning to fully utilise their use of technology for thy Tokyo 2020 Olympics – in fact, all the venues for the Games will be powered by renewable energy.
Wind and solar sources will be used not only for the venues, but also for the athletes’ village, the international broadcasting centre and the main press centre. To harness the solar energy ‘solar roads’ will be set up – this is where roads are lined solar panels that will be covered in resin so it’s safe for cars to drive on them.
In their bid to advance the technology use in Japan, ‘Perseusbot‘ won’t be the only AI to help people out – robot translators for visitors and tourists are set to be used for the games. Driverless taxis are also said to be used to ferry people around the city during the games.
The country is set to get enthusiastic about recycling too as the Olympic medals will be made from the small amount of gold, silver and copper found in smart phones – so far 80,000 phones have been donated to produce the medals.
So while, we can’t exactly expect an Alex Murphy-style RoboCop the use of more advanced technology will certainly push Japan further ahead in the forefront of technology industry – which is set to be a $40 billion industry by 2020.
