As technology advances, the human race gets ever closer to replicating in real life what we’ve only previously seen in sci-fi movies. From contact lenses that incorporate augmented-reality to human microchip implants that allow government snooping, there’s plenty on the agenda in the not-too-distant future. In South Korea, however, the future is getting scarily close as prisons brace themselves for the rise of the robots in 2012.
Under a project sponsored by the government's Ministry of Justice, the Asian Forum for Corrections plans to trial the use of robots at a jail in the city of Pohang, in the North Gyeongsang Province, as a way of lessening the workload of employees.
The trial, which kicks off in March and runs for one month, involves the four-wheeled, friendly-looking robot that you see in the picture below. Unlike the star of the 1987 sci-fi film, Robocop, this super-human cyborg won't be an enforcer, but will be used to monitor activity in the prison.
5ft-tall robot looks more like the "For Mash Get Smash" robots from the '70s than Robocop
"Unlike CCTV that just monitors cells through screens, the robots are programmed to analyse various activities of those in prison and identify abnormal behaviour," said researcher, Prof. Lee Baik-chul of Kyonggi University.
The robot will patrol the corridors of the correctional institute alerting guards about unruly behaviour, but prisoners will also be able to interact with it if there's an emergency and they need to contact a guard.
"Their job is not cracking down on violent prisoners. They are helpers. When an inmate is in a life-threatening situation or seriously ill, he or she can reach out for help quickly," he said.
The prototype, however, isn't quite finished. As the professor explains, researchers are looking to improve its look. "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," Baik-chul told the Yonhap news agency.
What do you reckon? It needs a big smile put on its face, don’t you think?
