India Times: [2] The coronavirus lockdown has forced people around the world to stay at home at all times and not venture out. While most of the people seem to have taken the warnings issued by their governments seriously, there are still some who are taking this lightly and risking themselves to Covid-19 infection. An African country has devised a novel way to counter the problem that may lead to spreading of Covid-19 infection.
[3] To make this lot go back home and not be walking the streets, Tunisia is taking the help of robot ‘cars’, unmanned four wheelers that patrol the streets of cities and upon finding someone, urge them to hurry up and go back home, as per a report by The Independent. These are the P Guard robots, made by a local manufacturer called ENOVA. The robot ‘cars’ are manually operated and are equipped with thermal and infrared cameras and also, light and sound alarms. Taking the help of an unmanned vehicle to give out necessary information and warning limits the chance of coronavirus infection eliminating any way of physical contact.
[4] The report shared a video that has been doing the rounds of Tunisian social media. In the video, a P Guard robot accosts a person on the street. “The man explains to the robot that he is leaving his house to buy cigarettes, before the operator instructs the transgressor to ‘hurry up!’”, added the report. [5] Tunisia imposed a nightly 12-hour curfew from mid-March but people have reportedly been flouting the restrictions imposed.
The report says that 1,031 individuals have been arrested since the curfew came into effect and 197 detained for not adhering to lockdown that barred people from going to public places.