As people around the world slowly emerge from their houses and figure out a new normal way of life, new measures are also being rolled out to protect the population from Covid-19.
In Thailand, this has come in the form of robotic dogs.
They are called K9, and they are being deployed in Thai malls around the country to dispense hand sanitizers to mall goers. Mimicking real puppies, these robot doggos were a big hit with the people, especially young children.
The hi-tech canine is controlled using 5G, a technology designed to connect virtually everyone and everything together including machines, objects, and devices. K9's 5G-powered comrades include ROC, which checks temperatures, and LISA, a customer service-bot.
However, there are also people who are unimpressed by the robots strutting in malls. One shopper, Lapassanan Buranapatpakorn, said, "I think the execution, like the robot itself, is a bit scary," Though she also admitted that giving out hand sanitiser is a "good idea".
Thailand isn't the only country employing robots to keep people safe from coronavirus.
Right here at home, a yellow robotic dog named Spot was seen patrolling Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park as part of a two-week trial by the National Parks Board and the Smart Nation and Digital Government Group, to see if it makes a measurable difference in helping to control the spread of Covid-19.
Developed by US company Boston Dynamics, Spot uses cameras to estimate how many people are around. It also broadcasts a pre-recorded message to remind park goers to adhere to social distancing rules: "For your own safety and for those around you, please stand at least one metre apart. Thank you."
Do you think that using robots to assist us amidst the pandemic is a good idea, considering that they can’t be infected? What do you think about the implementations of robots and AI technology to assist us?