Beijing is an exciting city! Stay updated with our weekend summary of the latest news.
Beijing Pharmacy Introduces Robot Employee
A pharmacy located in the Haidian District has unveiled the city's first pharmacy robot. With a metal claw attachment on one side and a suction device on the other, the humanoid Galbot robot can be seen in online footage navigating through shelves of medicines, picking items for customer orders, and placing them into a specific dispensing unit for packaging and collection.
The Galbot was created by the Beijing Galaxy General Robot company (GALBOT), established in 2023, specializing in the development of embodied intelligence robots. Their devices have been implemented in industrial production, smart retail, and media care sectors.
Advocates of integrating such robots in pharmacies and other areas underscore their ability to work continuously for 24 hours without fatigue, in contrast to human pharmacy staff whose efficiency tends to decline as their shifts progress. Furthermore, due to their speed and accuracy, these robots can achieve productivity rates that are two or three times higher than those of humans.
For humans, this scenario brings both advantages and disadvantages. Shop owners and patrons benefit from heightened efficiency and a quicker, more seamless service experience. However, human pharmacy workers are likely to face job displacement.
New Guidelines for Identifying Tired Drivers
In February, the Ministry of Public Security released the "Rules for Identification of Fatigued Driving Among Motor Vehicle Operators." Set to take effect on June 1, these guidelines significantly broaden the investigation and evidence-gathering processes used to ascertain whether a driver has operated a vehicle while tired.
Previously, authorities only considered the duration of driving to assess fatigued driving. This earlier approach classified driving as fatigued if the operator had been at the wheel for over four hours continuously or for less than 20 minutes of rest. The new regulations, however, introduce a three-pronged method where police evaluate driving behavior, the driver’s psychological condition at the time, and the driver’s "life trajectory" to determine instances of fatigued driving.
Additionally, the new rules include the term “passenger motor vehicle drivers,” which pertains to those involved in passenger transport operations. This expands the new regulations to cover ride-hailing and taxi drivers, bus operators, and others in similar roles concerning fatigued driving.
Conditions under which drivers may be deemed as fatigued include:
Driving Behavior
- If a driver operates a vehicle for over four hours without taking a break or stops for less than 20 minutes.
- For passenger vehicle drivers, if they drive continuously for more than two hours between 10 PM and 6 AM without resting for 20 minutes or less.
- For passenger vehicle drivers, if they have a cumulative driving time exceeding eight hours within a 24-hour period.
Psychological State
- If a driver’s eyes are closed for two seconds or longer in the ten minutes prior to a traffic collision, or if the fatigue brainwave signature is below 30.
- If, following a traffic accident, traffic police interview the motorist and establish that the driver was experiencing difficulty focusing, dizziness, or drowsiness.
Life Trajectory
- Traffic police will conduct surveys regarding drivers' sleep patterns and their work, diet, medication, and life circumstances before operating their vehicles, confirming one or more adverse conditions in the areas of sleep, work, diet, medication, and living circumstances.
Investigation Techniques
- Police will assess continuous driving duration, break intervals, and total driving time by accessing data from onboard devices or monitoring systems, questioning drivers and witnesses, and reviewing available video footage. They can also evaluate driver risk avoidance behavior through accident site investigations, simulations, and calculations from gathered data.
- For drivers using physiological monitoring devices, data captured by these devices during the driving period can be analyzed by police. Analyzing recorded images, videos, etc., from onboard devices or monitoring systems can help determine if a driver operated a vehicle while excessively fatigued.
- Drivers may also be questioned about their own assessment of their mental and physical conditions during an incident, with their responses potentially undergoing forensic analysis to determine if fatigued driving occurred.
Life Trajectory Investigation Techniques
The traffic police will conduct detailed inquiries into various factors surrounding an incident, typically covering the 24 hours leading up to it, or 48 hours if necessary.
Sleep Inquiries
- Police may request mobile phone usage data from the driver, their passengers, housemates, or acquaintances to evaluate the driver’s routine and sleep duration during the time under investigation.
Job Inquiries
- Police may ascertain the driver’s working conditions by conversing with the driver, coworkers, housemates, or acquaintances and retrieving work records or surveillance footage from the relevant timeframe.
Dietary Inquiries
- Police may investigate the driver’s eating habits by questioning the driver, peers, or friends and obtaining video evidence from the places where the driver dined within the relevant period
Beijing is an exciting city! Stay updated with our weekend summary of the most recent news.
