Videos of Japanese rescue robot falsely shared as 'corpse disposer in China'

This article is more than one year old.
Published on February 13, 2023 at 11:12
4 min read
By AFP Hong Kong

After China witnessed a surge in its Covid death toll, a video of a rescue robot was viewed tens of thousands of times in social media posts that falsely claimed it shows an "automatic corpse disposer" in the country. AFP tracked the footage down to fire safety videos from Japan that have circulated online since 2012. The Tokyo Fire Department told AFP it shows a robot designed to assist firefighters that had not been used since 2020.

"'Automatic corpse disposer' has become the mainstream of the new era in China ~ Chinese people are so happy! Great evolution of AI technology!!" reads a claim shared here on Facebook on January 16.

The claim, written in traditional Chinese, was accompanied by a 53-second video that appears to show medical personnel wearing protective gear assisting patients on a street. Clips of a machine scooping up a person also appear multiple times.

The narration in Chinese can be heard throughout the video suggesting that the Chinese government has begun mass production of "automatic corpse machines" amid a rising death toll.

A screenshot, taken on February 13, 2023, of the misleading post.

The claim began to circulate online after China's strict Covid-19 containment policy was abruptly lifted in early December. Chinese hospitals were inundated with mostly elderly patients, crematoriums were overwhelmed, and many pharmacies ran out of fever medications.

On January 14, Chinese authorities reported almost 60,000 Covid-related deaths between December 8 and January 12. It was the first major toll released by authorities since Beijing loosened virus restrictions.

AFP reported that the World Health Organization had accused China of heavily underreporting the number of victims, but Chinese health officials said dwelling on the precise figure was "unnecessary".

The same video was also shared on Twitter and Gettr alongside a similar false claim.

The Tokyo Fire Department said the robots seen in the misleading posts show rescue robots once used by firefighters in Japan.

"This robot is designed to rescue people when firemen cannot go in, such as when a carbon dioxide fire extinguishing system is in operation or when toxic gas is present," the fire department said in a written statement sent to AFP on February 1. "It is currently not in operation since it was abolished in 2020."

Robot demonstration

In the first five seconds of the video seen in the false posts, it shows a machine scooping up a man in an orange outfit.

A reverse image search on Google found the corresponding but mirrored video published here on YouTube on April 22, 2014.

The video is titled: "Demonstration of robot operation / 2014 Fire Technology and Safety Laboratory open to the public".

"Demonstration of robot operation. It is a detection-type remote sensing device and a rescue robot. At the 2014 Firefighting Technology and Safety Laboratory Open House," its description reads.

Below is a screenshot comparison of the video in the false posts (left) and the YouTube video (right):

Screenshot comparison of the video in the false posts (left) and the YouTube video (right).

Exhibition footage

From its 19-second to 21-second mark, the video in the false posts depicts a machine with two arms roaming indoors and orange-clad individuals observing it.

A reverse image search on Google found the corresponding video here on YouTube on October 17, 2014.

The video is titled: "Tokyo Fire Department Rescue Robot Crisis Management Industry Exhibition 2014".

Below is a screenshot comparison of the video in the false posts (left) and the YouTube video (right):

Screenshot comparison of the video in the false posts (left) and the YouTube video (right).

The Japanese phrase "Tokyo Fire Department" is also clearly visible on the helmets of the orange-clad individuals in the video.

A screenshot, taken on February 13, 2023, of the YouTube video with the helmet of the orange-clad individual magnified by AFP with InVid-Weverify.

At the five-second mark, the video in the false posts shows a man in a grey outfit being lifted up by a machine.

A reverse image search on Google found the corresponding but mirrored video published here on YouTube on July 16, 2012.

"Three Headquarters HR/Fire Technology and Safety Laboratory Open to the Public Rescue Robot Exhibition," the video's title reads.

Its description reads: "At the open house of the fire and rescue task force of the Tokyo Fire Department's third fire district headquarters in Shibuya ward and the Fire Technology and Safety Laboratory, a subsidiary of the Tokyo Fire Department."

Below is a screenshot comparison of the video in the false posts (left) and the YouTube video (right)