新加坡派出机器狗提醒民众保持社交距离

为了提醒人们保持安全的社交距离，新加坡在一个公园中派出了一只机器狗。这只机器狗配有摄像头，可以穿越公园内的崎岖地，配置的分析工具还可以评估园内的人数。

Singapore is trying a new way to get its residents to stay away from each other.

新加坡正在尝试一种新的方式来让民众保持安全社交距离。

On Friday, the government announced it would start deploying Spot, Boston Dynamics' famous yellow and black canine robot, at one local park.

上周五（5月8日），新加坡政府宣布将在当地一个公园部署波士顿动力公司著名的黄黑相间的机器狗，名为“斑点”。

The four-legged robot "dog" will patrol the area starting this weekend and broadcast a pre-recorded message to visitors to remind them of the importance of social distancing, authorities said.

有关部门表示，这只机器狗将从周末开始在这一地区巡逻，并向游客播放预先录制的信息，提醒他们保持社交距离的重要性。

The device will also be equipped with cameras that will scan the surroundings and help officials estimate the number of people gathering in parks, they said.

据称，机器狗还将配备摄像头，可以扫描周围环境，帮助官员估计聚集在公园里的人数。

"These cameras will not be able to track and/or recognize specific individuals, and no personal data will be collected," the government said in a statement.

政府在一份声明中表示：“这些摄像头无法跟踪和识别特定的个人，也不会收集任何个人数据。”

The new measure is an experiment to improve enforcement of social distancing throughout Singapore as it contends with an alarming recent spike in cases.

这项新措施是一项实验，目的是改善新加坡各地的社交距离执行情况。新加坡近期新冠肺炎确诊病例激增，令人担忧。

The pilot project is currently set to run in a limited trial for two weeks at one park during off-peak hours. But if all goes well, authorities will consider expanding the program.

目前，该试点项目将在非高峰时段在一个公园试行两周。但如果一切顺利，政府将考虑推广该计划。

off-peak [ˌɒf ˈpiːk]：adj.非高峰期的

Not long ago, Singapore was being hailed as one of the countries that had gotten its coronavirus response right.

不久前，新加坡还被誉为新冠疫情应对得力的国家之一。

Then the second wave hit. Clusters that government testing appeared to have missed quickly grew and the number of daily cases shot up. Since March 17, Singapore's number of confirmed coronavirus cases grew from 266 to 21,707 cases, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.As the situation worsens, the government has increasingly adopted technology in its response.

之后出现了第二波疫情。政府漏检的聚集性病例迅速增加，每日新增病例数量激增。根据约翰斯·霍普金斯大学的数据，自3月17日以来，新加坡新冠肺炎确诊病例从266例增加到21707例。随着疫情的恶化，政府应对时越来越多地采用了技术手段。

In March, it launched a nationwide contact-tracing app that uses Bluetooth to help users find out if they had close contact with someone confirmed to have been infected.

今年3月，新加坡推出了一款全国范围内的联系人追踪应用。该应用使用蓝牙技术，帮助用户确认自己是否与确诊的感染者有过密切接触。

The government says it's also using Spot in another capacity — at a local isolation facility where the robot helps bring medicine to patients.

政府表示，他们还在当地一家隔离机构使用了“斑点”机器狗，它可以帮助把药品送到病人手中。

Spot, which went viral in a series of online videos several years ago showing that it could run uphill, mount stairs and even get you a drink, is generally used for inspections on construction sites or similar situations, according to Boston Dynamics.

几年前，“斑点”机器狗在一系列网络视频中被疯传，视频显示它可以上坡、爬楼梯，甚至可以给你拿饮品。据波士顿动力公司称，它通常用于建筑工地或类似情况的巡查。

It also has been deployed for public safety reasons, such as helping "inspect hazardous packages from afar," the company states on its website.

该公司在其网站上表示，机器狗也被用于公共安全目的，比如帮助“远程检查危险包裹”。

Singapore's government said Friday that it had picked the model for its agility. "Unlike wheeled robots, Spot works well across different terrains and can navigate obstacles effectively, making it ideal for operation in public parks and gardens," it noted.

新加坡政府上周五（5月8日）表示，选择使用机器狗巡逻是因其灵活性。“与轮式机器人不同，‘斑点’机器狗可以很好地跨越不同的地形，并能有效地导航避开障碍物，这使它成为在公园和花园中运行的理想选择。”

For now, at least one park ranger will be patrolling the area along with the robot, according to authorities.

据有关部门表示，目前至少有一名公园管理员将和机器狗一起在园内巡逻。