New Yorkers Laugh At Knightscope

JH
John Honovich
•May 04, 2018
IPVM

What happens when you cross a Silicon Valley robot with tough outer borough people?

The NYPost has a takedown of Knightscope at LaGuardia airport, with quotes including:

  • “It’s a pain in the ass. It keeps bothering people.”
  • “They just laugh at it. They walk around the bot and take people into their cars. It’s a waste of money,” said one high-level security specialist at the airport.
  • "I didn’t even notice it. I thought it was sales,” said an illicit cabdriver named Mohammad."
  • "Strangely, when people get close to the K5, it says, “You are in my personal space,” according to workers."

The Post reports that the Airport saying it is in a testing phase right now. 

Related: 'Suicidal' Knightscope Robot Drowns, A Marketing Home Run For Knightscope - Man Attacks Robot, What The Run Over Child Means For The Future of Security Robots, Security Robots Are Just Entertainment

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Avatar
John Bazyk
•May 04, 2018
Command Corporation • IPVMU Certified

I saw their car version at ISC West, I'm not sure what that's all about. But I can actually see that being useful for patrols in rough neighborhoods. Would need to be bulletproof of course. I've lived and worked in some pretty rough areas and there are some areas where cops won't go on patrol because it's just too dangerous. 

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CK
Carl Kristoffersen
•May 04, 2018
In reply to John Bazyk

If the police won't go there, who will be making the arrests?

Kit: Michael... Michael???
Also Kit:  Perp, you are under arrest, please enter the back seat and and utilize the handcuffs.  ...  Where are you going?

 

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IG
Israel Gogol
•May 10, 2018
In reply to John Bazyk

i see knightscope being useful also for floor cleaning. Mount 3-4 roombas to drive it around and you can get a clean terminal floor and recording of potential dangerous activity. 

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UD
Undisclosed Distributor #1
•May 04, 2018

'The chronicles of Knightscope' are certainly entertaining. They may have tried to design a robot that channels an effective R2D2 but seemingly ended up with a ne'er-do-well, triggered Bender. 

  • "Strangely, when people get close to the K5, it says, “You are in my personal space,” according to workers."

In all fairness, however, Knightscope almost certainly is providing valuable information to the robotics industry through its series of missteps, trial and errors, etc. even if it seems like mostly errors at the moment. 

That being said, still hilarious!

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U
Undisclosed
•May 04, 2018

I think we are beyond diminishing returns on valuable signal from the Knightscope experience.  I really want to think there are useful robotics solutions vendors out there.  But please don't send another white plastic Dalek with wet wheels to convince me to buy it.

For example wasn't there a thing at ISC West built like some sort of veliciraptor/segway mashup?  

JH
John Honovich
•May 05, 2018
IPVM
In reply to Undisclosed

some sort of veliciraptor/segway mashup?

I believe you are referring to Turing, see our post: Startup Turing Video Segway-Based Security Robot Profile

JH
John Honovich
•May 05, 2018
IPVM

This story is getting even more absurd - Fox News Women, security think LaGuardia's surveillance robot is ogling them:

I am definitely with Knightscope on this one. The robot is not ogling women.

On the other hand, this does underscore the problems of having robots 'interact' with the public. Maybe blame the public here but when an airport needs to deny robot ogling allegations, that is not good...

In all seriousness, robots are more likely not to have problems either (1) in areas where people are not expected to be or (2) in areas where the people there are sufficiently trained (e.g., inside an office).

More: The Gothamist's take - The New LaGuardia Airport Robot Is A Perv

JH
John Honovich
•May 05, 2018
IPVM

A day after another round of national bad press, Knightscope's CEO acts like all is well:

JH
Jay Hobdy
•May 10, 2018
IPVMU Certified

We exhibited at a local show yesterday and Allied Security had the Knightscope there. I should have stopped and looked but I was busy working our own booth.

 

What I found really funny was somebody pushing the robot to the loading dock at the end of the day. All this money and you can't tell the robot it's time to go and move to the loading dock....

 

I took a video if interested

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