--- title: "Chinese Police Deploy Rolling BB-8-STyle Robot to Patrol Streets, Chase Down Suspects" description: "Imperial Police In Eastern China, police are now patrolling the streets with a rolling, rubber tire-wrapped robot that can chase down suspects and beat them in a fight. As the South China Morning Post reports, cops in the city of Wenzhou in Zhejiang province have lately been flanked by the spherical robot that looks more like an imperial \"Death Star\" than anything that should be used by ostensibly not-evil law enforcement. Named the \"Rotunbot\" or \"RT-G\" for short, this spherical robot was created by researchers at Zhejiang University on behalf of the Shenzen-based Logon Technology firm. It reportedly weighs about 275 pounds […]" date: "2024-12-14" modified: "2024-12-14" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/chinese-police-deploy-spherical-robot" categories: - "Robotics" - "Robots and Machines" tags: - "china" - "death star" - "police robots" - "the digest" --- # Chinese Police Deploy Rolling BB-8-STyle Robot to Patrol Streets, Chase Down Suspects ![In China, police are now patrolling the streets with a rolling spherical robot that can chase down suspects and beat them in a fight.]() *\Image: @alysha\_lobo via X / Futurism\* ## Imperial Police In Eastern China, police are now patrolling the streets with a rolling robot that can chase down suspects — and, they say, beat them in a fight. As the [*South China Morning Post* reports](), cops in the city of Wenzhou in Zhejiang province have lately been [flanked by the spherical robot]() that looks a bit like a militarized version of the cutesy BB-8 robot in "Star Wars." Named the "[Rotunbot]()" or "RT-G" for short, this spherical robot was created by researchers at Zhejiang University on behalf of a Shenzen-based outfit called Logon Technology. It reportedly weighs about 275 pounds and travels up to 22 miles-per-hour — and according to Wang You, an associate professor who worked on it, only takes a few seconds to reach that speed. "This robot can cope with dangers such as falling or being beaten," Wang told *SCMP*, "and can perform tactical actions such as enemy identification, tracking, and capture after modular modification." Equipped with net-guns, tear gas, and speakers, the robot is also reportedly pretty good at scaring off any would-be attackers. "If you win the fight, you’ll end up in jail," the robot was heard saying in a recent fight simulation viewed by the *SCMP*. "If you lose the fight, you’ll end up in hospital." ## Burning Rubber While "Star Wars" aesthetics are very much present in RT-G's design, its autonomous operations are more akin to the 2010 sleeper horror hit "[Rubber]()," which follows a sentient tire as it wreaks havoc across a desertscape. Though there don't seem to have been any public demonstrations of the robot operating autonomously yet, a promotional video released by Logon ahead of RT-G's deployment in Wenzhou suggests it can navigate various types of situations by itself. "Narrow terrain, extreme weather, dangerous work environments, violent conflicts and wars, all pose huge threats to human life and activities," reads a translation of the video [on the r/Cyberpunk subreddit](). "Thus an amphibious, intelligent robot emerged to replace humans in these style environments." It's a far cry from the [crappy police robots]() that have been [repeatedly deployed]() and [recalled]() by [law enforcemen]()t in New York — and honestly, this one is a lot scarier. **More on cop-bots:** [*Eric Adams Has Been Indicted, But His Crappy Subway Robot Will Be "Redeployed"*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()