Taipei stops using flashy robodog after backlash over China links

Taipei stops using flashy robodog after backlash over China links

2025-08-27

Taipei has put the brakes on its latest tech initiative centered on a smart robotic dog that would patrol the streets of the capital. While the device seems flashy and futuristic, it has come under fire for being identical to a Chinese military robodog equipped with a machine gun. In addition, its hardware is made and supplied by a Chinese company, and city councilors say that that could raise cybersecurity risks.

Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee Shu-chuan is on a walk with a smart robot dog on an inspection of the pavement outside city hall. But doesn’t this robodog look familiar?

This other robodog with a machine gun on its back was showcased by the CCP in its military drills last year. The robot is specially designed for urban warfare and intel collection. The only difference with Taipei’s dog is the equipment they carry on their back. The dog has raised national and information security concerns, as the chassis is made and maintained by Unitree Robotics, a Chinese company.

Lin Liang-chun
Taipei City Councilor
If our road mapping and road survey systems in Taipei employ equipment with links to China, doesn’t that raise concerns regarding information security? What about the chips in the equipment. Do they have online connectivity?

Grace
Political commentator
There could be backdoor programs. If there is an API, it could steal all the data from the cameras, microphone and remote systems and send it all to China. What a weak grasp of security Mayor Chiang Wan-an has. Or is Chiang Wan-an carrying drills for someone else?

A political commentator says it’s not just a cybersecurity risk. The robodogs can apparently be found on Taobao for NT$60,000 to NT$70,000, but in Taipei spent more than NT$700,000 on a single robotic chassis. An additional NT$6 million was spent on R&D, and voice recognition integration costs reached a whopping NT$10 million. A councilor doubts that the procurement was done following established regulations.

Chien Shu-pei
Taipei City Councilor (DPP)
We asked the Department of Information Technology, but their answers didn’t resolve anything. The procurement clearly did not undergo an information security review, and completely violates cybersecurity regulations from the central government. The robot is basically laying all of Taipei bare.

Lee Shu-chuan
Taipei Deputy Mayor
The robot dog was bought from mainland China, but it’s just a vehicle. It’s actual “soul” is the equipment on its back, which was developed by a Taiwanese company.

Taipei unveiled its robodog with great fanfare, but after the immense backlash, the city has decided to suspend its use for now to quell the controversy.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#robotics #robodog #technology #tech #cybersecurity

北市府引進"中製機器狗" 憂洩漏資安.符合採購法規?

2025-08-27

為改善交通安全，北市府首度引進"智能機器狗"協助人行道巡視，造價70萬元，卻被發現跟中共發表戰爭使用的機械狗同款，就連機械載體也是由中國廠商製造、維護，引發國安、資安疑慮。

台北副市長李四川，帶著智能機械狗，巡檢北市府外的人行道，但仔細一看，怎麼跟另一隻機械狗一模一樣。

背上揹著機槍，進行偵查攻擊，去年中共軍演展示，用於巷戰跟地面情蒐的機械狗，兩者比一比，除了背上揹著儀器不同之外，竟然是同一款。而且機械載體都是由中國廠商"宇樹科技"製造、維護，引發國安、資安疑慮。

[[台北市議員林亮君]]
“如果在台北市，我們的道路測繪，或者是道路測量的系統，是用這些可能跟中國相關的設施設備的話，會不會有資安的疑慮？以及裡面的這些的晶片設施，它有沒有連網的功能。”

[[政治評論員 Grace]]
“後門程式，你只要有一組API(應用程式介面)，就可以竊取相關的攝影機、麥克風，跟遠端程式所搭載的所有資料資訊，回傳到中國資料系統去。想請問一下蔣萬安，你為什麼對於程式的資安，安全的認知這麼的薄弱，難道蔣萬安你是為了誰在演習呢？”

Grace更踢爆，北市府引進的智能機器狗，淘寶價格只要6到7萬，但光是單一載體引進卻要花70萬元，還有研發經費600萬，語音辨識整合研發更高達1000萬，質疑採購是否符合採購法規？

[[台北市議員(民) 簡舒培]]
“立即向資訊局來做詢問，資訊局也一問三不知，所以這個政策完全沒有經過資安的審核，也完全違背了中央資安的管制。無疑就是把台北市全都露。”

[[台北副市長李四川]]
“那個機器狗原則上，是跟(中國)大陸買的，只是一個載具，牠的靈魂其實是上面那一套(巡檢)設備，設備是台灣的廠商自己研發。”

在排山倒海的反彈聲浪下，新工處也宣布，中國機器狗暫不使用，希望爭議風波先止住!

更多新聞內容，請鎖定：
民視台灣台（152頻道）週一至週五晚上9:30
民視新聞台（53頻道）週二至週六凌晨1:00

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