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New York City will deploy a “fully autonomous” security robot in one of its subway stations. Would you welcome one in your town or city?
The K5 robot will be used by the police in the Times Square subway station in Manhattan, the city’s busiest.
It’s a bird. It’s a plane. No, it’s a crime-fighting robot!
The “fully autonomous” security robot, weighing almost 400 pounds and standing roughly 5-foot-3, is part of a push by the mayor of New York City for more law-enforcement technology.
The New York Times reported on Sept. 22, 2023:
Its official name is K5, and its California-based maker, Knightscope, describes it as a “fully autonomous outdoor security robot.” It is currently used in hospitals, malls, airports, warehouses and casinos, and will soon be deployed in the Times Square subway station, the city’s busiest underground transit hub.
The robot, armed with four cameras, will record video but not audio. It will not employ facial recognition and — at a moment when the mayor is calling for vital city agencies to slash 5 percent of their budgets — the cost of leasing it averages out to about $9 per hour.
Some have taken a dismissive view, describing the new crime-fighting robot as a “trash can on wheels.” Others have likened it to an oversized version of R2-D2, the droid from the “Star Wars” films. And privacy rights advocates are skeptical, fearing that the latest in surveillance technology will lead to civil rights violations.
What do you think?
Do you think a police robot like K5 would improve public safety, or present more problems in your community?
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