Robot serves at self-help precinct

When you walk into a small police station in Jinan, Shandong province, you will not be served by a real person but by a robot that can answer your questions and tell you which machine can provide the service you need.

The self-service police station in the city's Shizhong district, just a five-minute walk from the district's exit-entry service hall, has five machines that provide round-the-clock services for some exit and entry matters and also ones related to household and identification affairs.

Although the machines handle some of the same matters as police officers behind a counter, their service is faster and is not limited to nine-to-five work hours.