109 security presence, intentionally drawing attention while performing patrol and surveillance functions. In public spaces, the K5 has demonstrated this deterrent capacity, countering criminal activities such as vehicle theft and unauthorised access through its sheer presence. Li likens the robot’s presence to the effect of placing a marked police car in a high-risk area, adding that a significant psychological effect occurs when a potential offender encounters “a 5 ft tall, 400 lb machine… with strobe lights flashing”. For Knightscope, this focus on deterrence rather than physical force is crucial, and Li stresses that arming its robots is a “bright red line” he will not cross. “If you’re trying to get society to reimagine public safety and you want to build some trust in the technology, the last thing you need to be doing is tasing anyone, shooting anyone, or doing anything on the offensive side.” He envisions the K5 bridging a gap in US public safety infrastructure, and addressing what he sees as a stark disparity in technological support between military personnel and domestic security agents. This disparity is “horrifying” when comparing the intelligence and surveillance tools available to a US soldier with those available to the average security guard, who may rely on “a number two pencil and a notepad” to document incidents, he says. Knightscope’s ASRs are therefore intended to grant “superpowers” to human officers by enhancing situational awareness and actionable intelligence across wide coverage areas without the need for their immediate presence. The K5 can also alleviate workloads by taking over “monotonous computational, heavy work”, Li adds. Core capabilities The K5 operates continuously year-round without human teleoperation or direct control, equating to Level 5 autonomy. This is facilitated through the fusion of advanced sensors and software, artificial intelligence, robotics and EV technologies. The suite of sensors includes 360o video coverage from four cameras with daylight, low-light and zero-light capabilities, plus four microphones for live audio and a public address system that can put out prerecorded messages, and a text-to-speech facility for a control-centre supervisor. Three main monitoring strategies have emerged around the K5. First, when contracted to law enforcement agencies, security feeds from the robot are available to 911 dispatchers or assigned officers in real time. Secondly, for private-sector clients, such as apartment complexes, where continuous monitoring is not feasible, the company’s risk and threat exposure (RTX) analysts provide roundthe-clock surveillance and support. Thirdly, the company monitors the health of robots remotely from the Knightscope Security Operations Center (KSOC). Using the KSOC interface, clients can adjust patrol schedules, and direct the robot to park itself or initiate alarms. Clients also have access to a real-time messaging feature, which provides instant communication with Knightscope’s support team, allowing them to address any emerging technical issues in real time. Staff can be Knightscope K5 security robot | In operation Uncrewed Systems Technology | December/January 2025 K5 on patrol in a hotel’s underground car park, pictured with one of Knightscope’s emergency phones. It can cope with gradients of up to 20% Trying to get society to reimagine public safety… the last thing you need to be doing is tasing anyone, shooting anyone, or doing anything on the offensive side
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjI2Mzk4