Wang Yushuo, a young employee of the Chinese drone company DJI, controls the dog remotely as a volunteer for his community’s resident committee, a “self-governing grassroots organization”. He says the dog does three or four patrols a day depending on battery life. “It’s very effective,” he says. “The virus is everywhere. We try to avoid any close contact. “ Not everyone is so enthusiastic. In downtown Shanghai, 33-year-old Pei began holding the curtains in her sixth-floor apartment after spotting a drone as she smoked on her balcony. “It was flying close, so I nodded to him,” he says. “He paused for a second and then flew away.” Shanghai is one of the most heavily guarded cities in the world, but with cameras pointing at empty streets, drones and robots offer authorities a closer look at citizens’ homes. The Communist Party is pushing for more spending on such tools. Full Lockdown in Shanghai, so they broadcast announcements. Robot Dog + Speakers # Shanghai #COVID #Lockdown pic.twitter.com/5kJdLrnL8p – Jay in Shanghai 🇨🇳 (@JayinShanghai) March 29, 2022 From time to time the machines are quite useful. On some campuses and makeshift quarantine camps, self-propelled carts and robots carry food to people who are stuck in their rooms. In Kangcheng, an apartment complex hailed by government officials as a model for preparing for a pandemic, Chinese tech giant Meituan’s carts offer food.

The lockdown was imposed with minimal warning, making food a concern for millions. Most markets are closed and those that remain open have difficulty accessing supplies as the city is partially quarantined from the rest of China. Residents are scanning delivery apps to try to grab new food as soon as it becomes available. Some even set their alarm clock at 6 in the morning to start shopping when stores update their fruit and vegetable stock. Some young engineers even write code to automate the process. A programmer trapped in northern Shanghai has written a program to monitor the Meituan application on two phones and a computer 24 hours a day. “We have been locked up for half a month and that is all they gave us,” he says, pointing to a shopping bag given by the city containing seven potatoes, seven onions, four tomatoes, three radishes, a cabbage and a piece of meat. “We have six people here. “This little food is not enough.” It is becoming clear that drones can be used in other ways. A day after a small food protest erupted in the suburb of Jutting, a police drone flew in to warn residents. Sen, a migrant worker living in the area, woke up from his loud robotic voice. “Do not cause trouble and do not gather illegally, otherwise you will be handled according to the law,” he says, sounding as he hovered overhead. “The pandemic is out of control, food prices are out of control; now a drone is coming to educate us about the law?” Ryan McMorrow is the FT technology reporter for China. Gloria Li is a FT researcher in southern China. Additional references by Xueqiao Wang Follow @FTMag on Twitter to learn about our latest stories first