Meet Spot: The Robotic Dog That Reminds Us to Maintain Social Distancing

Singapore’s parks can get crowded with walkers and runners, so the government has turned to a robotic dog amid corona times to ensure everyone’s respecting the two-meter social distancing measures!

“Spot will be controlled remotely, reducing the manpower required for park patrols and minimizing physical contact among staff, volunteer safe distancing ambassadors and park visitors,” explains the Singapore government in a press release. “This lowers the risk of exposure to the virus.”

The robotic dog was developed by U.S. engineering and robotics company Boston Dynamics, originally with the intention of using Spot in construction sites and other unstructured environments inaccessible to traditional robots. But governments and organizations around the world have recently found other uses for the robotic dog, especially during the pandemic when its function as a social distancing officer improves safety for everyone.