Not Japanese but German robots have been leased by the Chinese government to uphold the law during the Beijing Olympics. Berlin-based Robowatch Technologies has sent a total of 16 security robots to China. Two years ago, they were successfully deployed in German stadiums during the soccer world cup.

The robots are protecting the national stadium in Beijing and are able to say: “Please identify yourself!” in both Chinese and English. The Germans claim that customers can save up to 75% in costs of labor for security personnel.

Robot Technologies has developed two different models.

The Ofro (pictured above), which is the world’s first outdoor mobile security robot according to the manufacturer, is able to run 12 hours with one charge (top speed: 7km/h). The robot weighs 50kg and stands 1.4 meters tall. It’s equipped with a thermal camera, GSM/GPS antennas, WLAN, and two ultrasonic distance sensors.

Mosro (who came up with these names?), the second model, looks like a pipe with a red warning light on top of it. This robot is much lighter and smaller (25kg, 1.2m) and designed for general surveillance purposes. Mosro is able to detect gas, nuclear and chemical weapons and can overlook an area of up to 2km with its movable thermal camera system.

Via Der Spiegel [GER]