【1998 Archives】

It's no RoboCop998 Archives but it'll come when it senses trouble.

China's new robot police officers have started patrolling streets.

The E-Patrol Robot Sheriff (E巡机器警长) is able to track and follow potential criminals or suspicious people via facial recognition, according to the Economic Daily.

SEE ALSO: Introducing the little robot arm that can recreate anything you draw

Besides fighting crime, the robot officer is also capable of monitoring air quality and temperature, and is pipped to be able to track potential criminal activity, safety hazards and potential fires.

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Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

The 1.6 meter-tall robot moves autonomously using a system of cameras, and is currently at the Zhengzhou East Railway Station in Henan, where it is able to identify staff at the station by their work passes.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

The new robot follows the debut of a similar Dalek-type robot called the AnBot ("An" meaning 安, or "security" in Chinese) that was released last year at the Shenzhen International Airport.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

It's not clear whether AnBot's bigger, sleeker cousin is armed like the AnBot is though -- the AnBot has a "electrically charged riot control tool" (or taser), according to the People's Daily.

The new E-Patrol Robot Sheriff has already caught on to its first hazard -- it found a small fire on its first day, according to the Economic Daily, which published a first-hand account of police officers who worked with the RoboCop.

An officer wrote: "Thankfully, the robot's air monitoring and humidity monitoring functions helped us, if not we'd have a huge mess on our hands."

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