There is a new cop on the block in Hong Kong, all set to teach the public how to combat crime, but the man in blue stands out for being the first of his kind in the territory - he is actually a robot.
After two predecessors from the US, Robotcop The Third is "born-and-bred", so to speak, in Hong Kong. He was conceptualised and built by the best researchers at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. But his key features actually came from several students who won a Robotcop design competition. "My design is to have a plasma hidden in the centre (of the robot), and then have it open up. I think the effect's better that way than the older ones, as if we're revealing a secret," said student Tseng Chung Hung. Fellow student Lai Kai Yee meanwhile recalled: "I wanted to make the robot's arms more life-like, since it is supposed to be a police officer." And the cop can indeed move freely with the help of infrared sensors. It is also highly interactive - thanks to an advanced digital system and wireless technology. It also outshines its predecessors with its safety features. Unlike its Hollywood counterpart, there is not a single violent bolt in this Robotcop. It might cost around HK$300,000 to develop and build, but the service it provides the Hong Kong crime prevention drive is priceless. Like its predecessors, its main role is to spread anti-theft and anti-triad messages. Since it was first introduced in Hong Kong in 1988, the previous two Robotcops, both American imports, have taught 800,000 school children how to fight crime. But the cost of engaging "foreign talent" was escalating. So the police decided to go local, which they believe, will be even more effective. "We wanted to have a Robotcop that's developed and made with Hong Kong technology. We believe there's a stronger sense of rapport and connectedness because of it," said Sidney Chau, Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police and Director of Crime & Security. Professor David Young, Director, Applied Technology Centre, Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, said: "We had a hope, that with this Robotcop, we could show that Hong Kong's technology is world class. That we can also produce a world class robot. "And we hope too, to inspire the young in Hong Kong, that they too can one day produce such technology, to be part of the world of science." Slowing the crime rate and sparking the interest of a whole new breed of scientists - surely heavy responsbilities for this latest addition to the Hong Kong population. CNA
