Thai robot cop patrols streets with 360° eyes, face-tracking power

[rcjordan]

https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/ai-thai-robocop-patrols-streets

[ergophobe]

This strikes me as authoritarian theater. For the cost of the robot, you could probably have cameras everywhere. But having the all-seeing robot prominently and visibly walking the streets sends a signal that the government is powerful and knows when you are sleeping, knows when you're awake, knows if you've been bad or good.

[Brad]

Sometimes it pays to show the flag.  We have an outdoor "European Market" here on summer weekends.  It's pretty big.  The cops started having one of their own walk a beat in full dress uniform (which would have been a standard uniform up through the 1970's)  People noticed and appreciated that there was a cop in a proper uniform not in a BDU combat gear.  Anyway that was a show the flag operation, a nice way to put everybody on notice.