5 ms·

New SWAT drone smashes windows, opens doors, and negotiates with suspects

47 points by prostoalex 6y ago

bamboozled 6y ago
Going to suck pretty badly if the suspect does something simple like, closes a door.
freeone3000 6y ago
If it can smash glass, it can harm suspects. This is definitely not a tool for de-escalation at all. Police have been known to use lethal force in defense of property, so this doesn't actually solve any issues, this simply gives the police another tool to use against other citizens.
- craftinator 6y ago
  > If it can smash glass, it can harm suspects. This is definitely not a tool for de-escalation at all. Which is exactly why the police would employ it. America's worst, on the case!
- throwoutttt 6y ago
  Should potentially lethal force never be used to defend property under any circumstances?
- Alupis 6y ago
  A megaphone can smash glass too.
- ipsum2 6y ago
  We already have remote bomb detonation robots that have killed people. This isn't anything new: > Police in Dallas used a robot with an explosive device to kill a suspect involved in a coordinated ambush against officers. > The ambush occurred during a protest Thursday night over police-involved shootings elsewhere in the country. Five officers were killed and seven others were injured, as well as two civilians. https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/dallas-police-ambush/dallas-police-used-robot-bomb-kill-ambush-suspect-mayor-n605896 https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/dallas-police-ambush/dalla...
- Bancakes 6y ago
  First SWAT, then street cops. I'd rather get pulled over and talk to a drone at my window than an officer directly. Much safer this way, I can rummage my pockets all I want.
  - vijayr02 6y ago
    Why do you think the drone won't use lethal force if it suspects imminent harm? Do you know how expensive these things are? /s
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
disabled 6y ago
I have a hard time believing it is a good negotiation tool. It sounds like something that would escalate things quickly. There is a reason why the negotiators on SWAT teams are explicitly referred to as “human negotiators”, and not just “negotiators”. The qualifier “human” has been intently stated for years.
- Alupis 6y ago
  It's a cell phone with propellers. It's still humans doing the negotiating. You didn't think we send humans into armed and barricaded situations to negotiate face to face did you? That would be incredibly dangerous.
  - disabled 6y ago
    Using some abstract device that comes out of nowhere and can also injure the criminal, for negotiation, is an open invitation for escalation. There is a reason why human negotiators use normal human communication tools (ie phone or megaphone) to deescalate the situation.
    - Alupis 6y ago
      This is a device to use when traditional negotiation techniques fail, and/or to find out the condition/location of the suspect for medical attention, or prior to breaching when all else fails. It's another tool designed to keep people safe (both good guys and bad). As an aside, I think you've read far too deeply into titles. Nobody emphisizes the "human" title, because there's literally no other way to negotiate. In fact, their actual titles are often Hostage Negotiator or Crisis Negotiator. This isn't CSI Miami nor Law and Order.
  - underwater 6y ago
    Sending an incredibly loud robot smashing through someones window seems like the worst possible way to start a negotiation. Is a highly agitated suspect really going to negotiate via this thing?
ARandomerDude 6y ago
Seems like it would be pretty easy to take down with birdshot.
mikewarot 6y ago
Why not just give them Slaughter bots?, that's where we're headed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ipkq-BASaM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ipkq-BASaM
solarengineer 6y ago
Reminds me of the Robocop movies.
elmacho39 6y ago
"Please put down your weapon. You have 20 seconds to comply."
- ASalazarMX 6y ago
  That robot's glitch was ahead of its time. Today we would accept that the guy's guy's necktie, or some random shadow/shape in the window, triggered an edge case in the AI's gun recognition neural network. Then, it felt more like a glitch that left the subject_has_gun flag always on.
- ElectricMind 6y ago
  No. I always stay liquid and fill the gapes.
elil17 6y ago
This seems way, way more dangerous for suspects than existing ground-based SWAT robots. Why smash glass and then blow it everywhere when there are existing robots which can open doors (not just ones that are already ajar)
pwrplus1 6y ago
Sarah Connor?
grendelt 6y ago
If you need to smash glass, why not use a rock and slingshot? Isn't that a whole, whole lot cheaper solution? Or a BB gun? Also if a drone comes flying in a room where you're barricaded, it's time to fire the shotgun at it or just throw a pillow at it. If it crashes to the floor, I'm tossing a towel over it. Take out the battery and toss it back out the window. XD
aaron695 6y ago
"At a Friday evening press conference, Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings revealed that police used a common plastic explosive known as C4. "The same automated robot equipment used to defuse bombs was used to place C4 in place and to detonate that," Rawlings said." (2016) - https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/07/08/485262777/for-the-first-time-police-used-a-bomb-robot-to-kill https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/07/08/485262777... Here is a drone letting a suspect surrender - https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/thomas-jefferson-byrd-murder-arrest-atlanta-police-drone-spike-lee-b1084670.html https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/thomas-jef...
killingtime74 6y ago
This is how skynet starts
captainredbeard 6y ago
Reminds me of Half Life 2's flying saw drones.

47 points by prostoalex 6y ago

Going to suck pretty badly if the suspect does something simple like, closes a door.

If it can smash glass, it can harm suspects. This is definitely not a tool for de-escalation at all. Police have been known to use lethal force in defense of property, so this doesn't actually solve any issues, this simply gives the police another tool to use against other citizens.

craftinator 6y ago
> If it can smash glass, it can harm suspects. This is definitely not a tool for de-escalation at all. Which is exactly why the police would employ it. America's worst, on the case!
throwoutttt 6y ago
Should potentially lethal force never be used to defend property under any circumstances?
Alupis 6y ago
A megaphone can smash glass too.
ipsum2 6y ago
We already have remote bomb detonation robots that have killed people. This isn't anything new: > Police in Dallas used a robot with an explosive device to kill a suspect involved in a coordinated ambush against officers. > The ambush occurred during a protest Thursday night over police-involved shootings elsewhere in the country. Five officers were killed and seven others were injured, as well as two civilians. https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/dallas-police-ambush/dallas-police-used-robot-bomb-kill-ambush-suspect-mayor-n605896 https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/dallas-police-ambush/dalla...
Bancakes 6y ago
First SWAT, then street cops. I'd rather get pulled over and talk to a drone at my window than an officer directly. Much safer this way, I can rummage my pockets all I want.
- vijayr02 6y ago
  Why do you think the drone won't use lethal force if it suspects imminent harm? Do you know how expensive these things are? /s

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]

disabled 6y ago

I have a hard time believing it is a good negotiation tool. It sounds like something that would escalate things quickly. There is a reason why the negotiators on SWAT teams are explicitly referred to as “human negotiators”, and not just “negotiators”. The qualifier “human” has been intently stated for years.

Alupis 6y ago
It's a cell phone with propellers. It's still humans doing the negotiating. You didn't think we send humans into armed and barricaded situations to negotiate face to face did you? That would be incredibly dangerous.
- disabled 6y ago
  Using some abstract device that comes out of nowhere and can also injure the criminal, for negotiation, is an open invitation for escalation. There is a reason why human negotiators use normal human communication tools (ie phone or megaphone) to deescalate the situation.
  - Alupis 6y ago
    This is a device to use when traditional negotiation techniques fail, and/or to find out the condition/location of the suspect for medical attention, or prior to breaching when all else fails. It's another tool designed to keep people safe (both good guys and bad). As an aside, I think you've read far too deeply into titles. Nobody emphisizes the "human" title, because there's literally no other way to negotiate. In fact, their actual titles are often Hostage Negotiator or Crisis Negotiator. This isn't CSI Miami nor Law and Order.
- underwater 6y ago
  Sending an incredibly loud robot smashing through someones window seems like the worst possible way to start a negotiation. Is a highly agitated suspect really going to negotiate via this thing?

ARandomerDude 6y ago

Seems like it would be pretty easy to take down with birdshot.

mikewarot 6y ago

Why not just give them Slaughter bots?, that's where we're headed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ipkq-BASaM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ipkq-BASaM

solarengineer 6y ago

Reminds me of the Robocop movies.

elmacho39 6y ago

"Please put down your weapon. You have 20 seconds to comply."

ASalazarMX 6y ago
That robot's glitch was ahead of its time. Today we would accept that the guy's guy's necktie, or some random shadow/shape in the window, triggered an edge case in the AI's gun recognition neural network. Then, it felt more like a glitch that left the subject_has_gun flag always on.
ElectricMind 6y ago
No. I always stay liquid and fill the gapes.

elil17 6y ago

This seems way, way more dangerous for suspects than existing ground-based SWAT robots. Why smash glass and then blow it everywhere when there are existing robots which can open doors (not just ones that are already ajar)

pwrplus1 6y ago

Sarah Connor?

grendelt 6y ago

If you need to smash glass, why not use a rock and slingshot? Isn't that a whole, whole lot cheaper solution? Or a BB gun? Also if a drone comes flying in a room where you're barricaded, it's time to fire the shotgun at it or just throw a pillow at it. If it crashes to the floor, I'm tossing a towel over it. Take out the battery and toss it back out the window. XD

aaron695 6y ago

"At a Friday evening press conference, Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings revealed that police used a common plastic explosive known as C4. "The same automated robot equipment used to defuse bombs was used to place C4 in place and to detonate that," Rawlings said." (2016) - https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/07/08/485262777/for-the-first-time-police-used-a-bomb-robot-to-kill https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/07/08/485262777... Here is a drone letting a suspect surrender - https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/thomas-jefferson-byrd-murder-arrest-atlanta-police-drone-spike-lee-b1084670.html https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/thomas-jef...

killingtime74 6y ago

This is how skynet starts

captainredbeard 6y ago

Reminds me of Half Life 2's flying saw drones.