When we imagine robots, we often think of a science fiction future in which our world, or perhaps even the worlds beyond, are populated with fantastic machines performing fantastic tasks. However, the reality in 2024 is a little more down to earth. So consider this particular model of machine, because instead of ushering in a new dawn of the technological revolution, it was instead hired by the San Antonio airport to stand near some of the doors.
The model in question is one of Knightscope's K5 autonomous security robots and is a pretty impressive tower of authoritarian power (via The guard). Weighing 420 pounds and standing just over 5 feet tall, the robot is designed for outdoor and indoor use, primarily for security purposes. And the San Antonio City Council just approved a one-year agreement to lease an aircraft as a security measure at the airport.
However, think again before imagining the machine checking your luggage and making sure you take off your shoes before going through the scanner. Instead, Robbie (can I call you Robbie? I'll call it anyway) was brought in to work near doors with frequently activated alarms.
When a door alarm goes off, Robbie rolls up to the scene of the disturbance, takes a photo of the person who triggered the alarm, and sends that information to the airport command center so they can determine whether it is simply a disturbance An employee trying to gain access to a required area or a good-for-nothing doing no good.
A bit downgraded from advancing humanity's potential, but hey, someone has to do it. Faced with this frown, Cylon-like In the front panel, it doesn't look like the robot is too happy about the new beat, although he wouldn't be alone in this case.
San Antonio Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez, among others, voted against the contract and dismissed surveillance concerns, while another council member expressed concern about the potential replacement of valuable employees with robotic equivalents. However, the vote still passed, so dear Robert (can I call you Robert?) will be making his rounds over the next few months.
If the Knightscope K5 looks familiar, you may remember a story from 2017 where an earlier model famously crashed. into a water fountainwhich triggered his early downfall.
The Knightscope K5 has received mixed reactions over its time on various security measures, including a stint with the NYPD, with some feeling that the introduction of autonomous security was a step towards a somewhat dystopian and authoritarian way of policing. A search on YouTube turns up many videos of people interacting with the machines, often out of curiosity or sometimes just plain Mess with them to have fun.
It's a hard life being a robot snitch, but given this new contract, it seems like there are still potential use cases for autonomous security bots in our daily lives, even if they remain seemingly unpopular.
If Robbie reads this article and I happen to be traveling to Texas via San Antonio, please remember that this hardware writer was relatively nice. I won't try to go through any alarmed doors, big buddy, I promise. No photos please.
