Robotic Mall Cop Unveiled in Japan

Friday, January 23, 2009

Paul Blart ain't got nothing on this.

Japanese researchers in Tokyo on Wednesday unveiled a robotic mall cop, a two-foot-high security guard on wheels that can track down bad guys running amok on commercial property and disable them with a 'Spider-Man' like web.

Named the T-34, possibly after the legendary Soviet tank of World War II, the little blue guy on wheels weighs about 25 pounds and has a top speed of about 6 mph — not quite as fast as Paul Blart's Segway.

"We have basically designed the robot for corporate use and we expect private security companies to buy them instead of using human guards, but there will also be those tailored for use in homes," Tmsuk Co.'s Mariko Ishikawa told London's Daily Telegraph.

The T-34 has internal cameras, heat sensors and microphones, and can be guided by a remote controller via cell phone.

• Click here to watch the T-34 nab an actor playing a bad guy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaWqL8LZQY0