Autonomous robot deployed in Atlanta to detect threats amid crime concerns

Interesting Engineering ^ | August 25, 2024 | Gairika Mitra

[Towed_Jumper]

An autonomous surveillance robot has taken the leading charge of assuring safety in Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward. That area had been home to various violent crimes over the past seven months, specifically the Boulevard Street area.

The Boulevard street had almost become a focal point for public safety in the neighborhood. Natives staying in the area revealed that they see bullets all across the street at frequent intervals. Incidents like these leave them scared since they see and hear everything.

The Atlanta Police Department has shared that 34 crimes have been reported in that area in the past seven months. These crimes include murder, kidnapping, rape, and multiple assaults.

Atlanta City Councilman Amir Farokhi shared that the Old Fourth Ward is mostly a vibrant, walkable, and thriving neighborhood. However, Farokhi added that pockets of crime tend to happen at this place, especially during summer.

With this Knightscope autonomous surveillance robot, things might fall into place. This one requires no human intervention and looks for anomalies, and further reports back to a security operation center.

Stacy Stephens, executive vice president and chief client officer at Knightscope, said, “It’s looking for things that are out of place. So it’s not necessarily, ‘I’m looking for John Smith, who’s doing something bad.’ It’s what’s not right in the area for that given time of day or that level of activity or this particular part of a building?”

[Gaffer]

She added that these robots are sizable, and will not collect any kind of private information. The robot is looking for information which is publicly available

I'd be willing to bet that the robot has a cell sniffer in it that can tag cell phones (like the IMEIs in each one) and get pictures enough to put faces with phones.

[alexander_busek]

Natives staying in the area Local residents revealed that they see bullets all across the street at frequent intervals.

Translated from Estonian into Japanese and then into English?!

Also: How can one "see bullets?!"

Regards,

[Former Proud Canadian]

Just knock it over. It can’t get up.