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Knightscope Robot Security Guards Ready

Slowly but surely, robot security guards are being prepared to take all those jobs that no one really wants, except you need a job.


(Knightscope security guard video)

The robots are designed to detect anomalous behavior, such as someone walking through a building at night, and report back to a remote security center.

“This takes away the monotonous and sometimes dangerous work, and leaves the strategic work to law enforcement or private security, depending on the application,” Knightscope cofounder and vice president of sales and marketing Stacy Stephens said as a K5 glided nearby.

In order to do the kind of work a human security guard would normally do, the K5 uses cameras, sensors, navigation equipment, and electric motors—all packed into its dome-shaped body with a big rechargeable battery and a computer. There are four high-definition cameras (one on each side of the robot), a license-plate recognition camera, four microphones, and a weather sensor (which looks like a DVD-player slot) for measuring barometric pressure, carbon dioxide levels, and temperature. The robots use Wi-Fi or a wireless data network to communicate with each other and with people who can remotely monitor its cameras, microphones, and other sources of data.

SF writers and movie-makers have been feeling the love for robot sentries and other such devices. Consider the sentry robot from the 1985 film Runaway by Michael Crichton:


(Security guard robot from Runaway)

Philip K. Dick was fascinated with the idea of robotic guardians; he mentions guard robots in his 1955 story The Hood Maker:

"Halt!" A robot guard appeared, streaking toward them across the field. "Identify yourselves!"

Franklin showed his clip. "I'm Director level. We're here to see the Senator. I'm an old friend."

Automatic relays clicked as the robot studied the identification clip.

Via Technology Review.

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