has unveiled its latest innovation in its fight against crime - a capable of chasing down suspects on land and water.

Known as Rotunbot RT-G, the machine is capable of fending off baseball attacks by assailants and, thanks to its centre of gravity, is incapable of toppling over. It has been unleashed in the shopping district in Zhejiang, on China’s southeast coast and resembles something out of .

Unlike the eponymous hero Alex Murphy, who was killed in the line of duty of the film, this robot contains nothing human. Instead the self balancing machine features a sleek black look and can carry out rescues in dangerous areas, crossing lakes and rivers with ease as it boasts propellers.

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Rotunbot said of the innovation: “The spherical robot moves smoothly and flexibly, is easy to control, and can be used on a variety of road surfaces; the closed spherical shell has strong self-protection capabilities and is anti-overturning.

“The robot uses advanced control algorithms inside to enable it to move flexibly in a variety of scenarios. The spherical robot is equipped with a variety of sensors and has a good detection function for the surrounding environment.

“Through real-time communication , the collected information can be stored and transmitted to the user's control terminal, and can perform intelligent security tasks, including patrolling streets and communities, rivers and lakes, emergency rescue in dangerous areas, etc.

“Spherical robot has the characteristics of a spherical shape, and the weight is mainly concentrated below the center of the ball, which has the characteristics of a tumbler. Therefore, no matter if it is stationary or moving, there is no possibility of tipping over.”

Rotunbot features in its arsenal GPS, cameras and sonar, as well as sensors giving it a “strong perception” of its environment.

In 2017 The "world's first operational Robocop" was unveiled in Dubai as part of the emirate's planned robot police force. At 5ft 5in tall and weighing 100kg, it can speak six languages and is designed to read facial expressions.

It had an easy start to working life, being unveiled at the three-day long Gulf Information Security Expo and Conference. Brigadier-General Khalid Nasser Al Razzouqi, Director-General of Smart Services with the Dubai Police said: "The launch of the ’s first operational Robocop is a significant milestone for the Emirate and a step towards realizing Dubai’s vision to be a global leader in smart cities technology adoption.”