Autonomous surveillance robot to combat crime in Atlanta

Crime statistics require the use of surveillance robots

Atlanta police said 34 crimes have been reported in the area over the past seven months, including murder, kidnapping, rape and multiple assaults.

This alarming statistic has led to the use of autonomous surveillance robots.

The Knightscope robot operates independently and is designed to detect anomalies and report them to a security operations center.

A new approach to public safety

Stacy Stephens, EVP and Chief Client Officer at Knightscope, explained that the robot does not specifically look for people involved in illegal activities.

Instead, it looks for things that seem out of place given the time of day or activity level.

The robot used in Boulevard is 1.68 m tall and weighs 191 kg. It does not collect private information, but focuses on publicly available data.

Atlanta City Council expresses cautious optimism

Atlanta City Councilman Amir Farokhi expressed cautious optimism about the role of autonomous robots in future public safety.

He acknowledged that neither the police nor the city of Atlanta had used such a robot before.

However, he believes this could mark the beginning of a new era in which more technologies of this kind are developed for public safety purposes.

Testing phase of the robot and reaction of the community

The robot, developed by Wingate Properties, will be in test mode for several weeks while it is being set up.

The company is currently using the collected data as an additional source of information and keeping the police informed.

Despite initial concerns about their privacy, residents expressed relief at the robot's deployment, as safety is their main concern given the rising crime rate.