From QZ
The San Francisco branch the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) has been ordered by the city to stop using a robot to patrol the sidewalks outside its office, the San Francisco Business Times reported Dec. 8.The robot, produced by Silicon Valley startup Knightscope, was used to ensure that homeless people didn’t set up camps outside of the nonprofit’s office. It autonomously patrols a set area using a combination of Lidar and other sensors, and can alert security services of potentially criminal activity.
These robots have had a string of mishaps in the past. One fell into a pond in Washington, DC, in July. Another ran over a child’s foot in California in 2016. And Uber, which is no stranger to the ethical quandaries of what it means to be gainfully employed by a company, has used the robots in San Francisco.
These robots are going to be vandalized. RIP Hitchbot I'm afraid we learned nothing from your plight.
Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
Attack of the Daleks ?
Cost vs housing cost?
Unless 'they' are armed, I doubt they can survive as a species :-)
I don't think we are far off from having armed robots like these on the streets or at least a debate about it.
I hope not. Seems like a very negative direction for the human race.
Better things for robots to do IMHO (eg miniature ones that we blast into next galaxy etc ie space travel)
Wonderful theme really good job @contentjunkie
next year robocop!
:O
I saw that movie & the ending...scary thought
i expect quad copter drones armed before actual ground moving robots like from the 80's idea of the future.
:D