We are talking about two devices. One of them is Knightscope’s K5 autonomous security robot. Outwardly, it resembles a large egg, which immediately caused townspeople to associate themselves with R2-D2 from Star Wars or Dalek from Doctor Who. This wheeled robot is designed to secure a certain area. The device is equipped with various sensors, microphones, cameras, is able to recognize people (the collected data will be transmitted to the police station) and operate autonomously, without human intervention. From the beginning of the summer, K5 will patrol the Times Square station of the New York subway.
The second robot – Digidog from Boston Dynamics – is much more interesting, since it is made in the form of a dog. Such devices have already been tried for acceptance into the New York City Police Department in 2020, but after criticism from human rights activists and the public, the idea was dropped.
But now Adams has decided to take over the service of robotic dogs. According to the mayor, the 32-pound Digidog will be used in dangerous situations, such as hostage situations. “Instead of sending the police there, you send the Digidog there,” Adams said. “These are smart ways to use good technology,” he added.
It should be noted that during the first experiment three years ago, robops were already used to assess the situation when an armed suspect barricaded himself in an apartment, to deliver food during a hostage situation, to provide audio communications during negotiations. The police were happy, but under public pressure they were forced to give up Digidog.
However, that did not stop them from attaching such assistants to the New York fire department. They were also recruited by the Hawaii Police Force, where law enforcement uses the Digidog to patrol areas and search for homeless encampments around Honolulu. The army has also taken an interest in robops. In the state of Florida, an experiment is being conducted to protect the air base using four-legged robots. They will also participate in border patrols with Mexico.
Interest in these robotic dogs is also being shown in other countries. In France, the cadets of the military school of Saint-Cyr use them during exercises in the field. In Italy, they patrol the ruins of Pompeii, protecting the ruins both from natural erosion and from eager tourists. In Shanghai, robot dogs have surveyed the city during coronavirus outbreaks, urging citizens to stay home, wash their hands and monitor their temperatures. They are also used by private companies, such as SpaceX, to monitor the Starship launch site after rocket launches.
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