The City of New York and the New York Police Department (NYPD) are deploying a security robot from Knightscope, a developer of autonomous security robots and blue light emergency communication systems. Knightscope’s K5 security robot will eventually be tasked with patrol activities between the hours of 12:00 AM and 6:00 AM.
Knightscope’s K5 is a fully autonomous outdoor and indoor security robot. The robot is best suited for securing large, outdoor spaces in any weather. It can reach a max speed of 1340 mm/sec (3 mph), measures 159 cm (62.5 inches) tall, and weighs 180 kg (398 lbs).
For the first two weeks of its deployment, K5 will be training and learning protocols before it’s set to start patrol activities.
“Today we are launching a pilot program to test the Knightscope K5 security robot,” said Mayor Eric Adams, City of New York. “The NYPD must be on the forefront of technology and be 2 steps ahead of those utilizing technology to hurt New Yorkers.”
The NYPD isn’t the first police department to utilize Knightscope’s technology. For example, in Los Angeles County, CA, the robots have been used to patrol a popular public park.
Knightscope’s robots have also been deployed to patrol private property. In February 2022, the company announced that it secured a contract to deploy a K5 Arobot in Seattle, Washington, for a Fortune 1000 hotel and resort chain. Hospitality is a growing segment among Knightscope’s clientele, with the Company having already secured numerous deployments in hotels, casinos and resorts.
In September 2022, Knightscope began diversifying its portfolio with non-robotic security products. The San Francisco-based company recently introduced its K1 Hemisphere, a compact, stationary, mounted security solution with three cameras that provide 180-degree, eye-level, high-definition video. The solution features automatic license plate recognition and criminal facial recognition called Automatic Criminal Detection Capability (ACDC).
The company began trading publicly on the NASDAQ exchange in January 2022. When it went public, it planned to use the proceeds to continue to scale its fleet of autonomous security robots and to invest in new technologies.
