Robots ready to roll out as prison guards in South Korean jail

Five-foot, four-wheeled robots will roam the halls at night to monitor prisoners

Larry Mcshane
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Tuesday, December 6 2011, 1:05 PM

The electric chair is just so 20th century.

Think battery-powered prison guards, the 21st century technology for correctional facilities — with a South Korean jail rolling out its robot security force this March.

The wide-eyed guards stand just 5 feet tall, travel on four wheels, and don’t complain about working overtime. Three of the bots are set to join the staff in the city of Pohang for a month-long tryout.

The angular robots cost about $860,000 to construct, and come equipped with cameras and sensors to detect suspicious actions or signs of violence.

The creators — members of the Asian Forum for Corrections — said the robots will likely appear less menacing than the stereotypical prison guard or a cyborg-styled Terminator.

“As we’re almost done with creating its key operating system, we are now working on refining its details to make it look more friendly to inmates,” said Prof. Lee Baik-Chu the chief designer, to the Yonhap News Agency.

The robots will start out working the night shift, rolling through prison halls. Human guards can use the machines to keep an eye and an ear on inmates via the robots’ two-way audio and video feeds.