Environmental Department adopts AI robot dog for air quality checks

The AI robot dog can identify pollution by sensing gas and tracking its source.

The Environmental Protection Department has deployed an artificial intelligence (AI) environmental air nuisance investigation robot dog to aid investigators in managing air pollution incidents.

The AI robot dog identifies gases and provides pollution data, raises its paw for unknown gases, and autonomously tracks the source to lead investigators.

The department plans to use gas-sniffing robot dogs instead of human investigators in dangerous and confined spaces, enhancing efficiency and safety.

Proving its effectiveness, the AI robot dog helped solve the mystery behind an air pollution case in the Yuen Long Industrial Estate by discovering the source of the pollution.

The department hopes the AI robot dog will eventually distinguish more smells, like farm odours and cooking oil, enabling various teams to use it for diverse investigations.