The Chinese government has stepped up its disease surveillance and is retrospectively testing any recently reported cases of severe respiratory infection, to check if any cases had not been recognised as H7N9.

BBC: WHO confirms five deaths from China bird flu

IRobot is currently testing ConnectR, a surveillance bot similar to Rovio that lets consumers check in on elderly parents, among other watchful tasks.

FORBES: Household Robots

The German business magazine Wirtschaftswoche reported over the weekend that Microdrones, a company based in the city of Siegen, Germany, has sold at least one of its flying surveillance robots to the search giant for testing.

FORBES: Is This Flying Drone Google's Next Privacy Controversy? Update: Google Says No

This plane, which AeroVironment hopes to start testing by next spring, is designed to fill a surveillance gap that military and intelligent services are desperate to address, so-called persistent surveillance.

FORBES: Companies, People, Ideas