In Tunisia, robots will monitor quarantine compliance

Police robots were involved to patrol several areas of the capital, Tunisia. This is reported by the Air Force Africa. According to journalists of the TV and radio company, the robot will monitor compliance of residents with quarantine measures imposed as part of measures to combat the spread of coronavirus. It is not clear exactly how many of the police robots created in Tunisia, dubbed PGuards, were deployed by the Ministry of the Interior. A spokesman for manufacturer Enova Robotics told a BBC correspondent it was a confidential matter, also refusing to report the cost of the robot. According to developers, the four-wheeled PGuard is equipped with a thermal imaging camera and Lidar (light detection and range determination) technology, which works as a radar, but uses light instead of radio waves. If the robot notices a man walking down the street, he approaches him and asks why they left the house. The person must then show their ID and other documents to the robot camera so employees controlling the robot can check them out, reporters said. According to journalists, the second week of the national quarantine is coming to an end in Tunisia. Under the rules introduced, all residents of the country must remain in their homes, but people can leave their homes for medical reasons or to buy basic necessities. In the North African country, 436 cases of COVID-19 have now been confirmed, of which 14 are fatal.