Sharing her experience with the AI-powered robot cop in a New York subway station, ZDNET's Nina Raemont reported of the robot - K5 - patrolling in The Times Square-42nd St. subway station's mostly deserted mezzanine.
It was pacing swiftly from one end of the hallway to another, pausing sometimes when people went by, much like a 'cautious Roomba,' she said.
The robot cop was deployed by the New York Police Department late this September.
About its description, Nina explains that is 5'2, 398-pound, equipped with four HD wide-angle cameras, one infrared thermal camera, 16 microphones, and wheels.
The K5 security robot, accompanied by an officer, works at the subway station between midnight and 6 a.m. She explains that when she came closer to the robot, its cameras came to her face level.
She followed the robot while it rolled down the hallway.
The dirty white subway wall tiles mirrored the blue fluorescent lights flashing across K5's armour as it moved.
In the wake of the thriving technological developments, police departments and privately-owned businesses have started deploying robots like K5 as lower-cost crime reduction alternatives to security guards and police.
Some are responding to 911 calls or disarming bombs.
The majority of them only record cameras in public areas and store the footage in a database that departments and business owners can view through a screen to keep an eye out for suspicious conduct.
The NYPD and Knightscope, the self-driving autonomous security company behind the K5 robot, said they think the robot might serve as both physical deterrents to crime and on-the-ground eyes to capture criminals for potential prosecution.
Because of robot security, more crimes are anticipated to be captured on camera and the offenders will become more aware of where and when they commit one.
On the contrary, privacy advocates argue that these kinds of bots pose a 'security threat' at best and state-approved spying at worst.
This Cyber News was published on www.cysecurity.news. Publication date: Wed, 13 Dec 2023 16:43:04 +0000