4 ms·

NYPD Deploys “Creepy” New Robot Dog in Manhattan Public Housing Complex

22 points by decebalus1 6y ago

peanut_worm 6y ago
Kind of sad to see the funny dancing dog robot video and then its first application for police surveillance...
- bananabiscuit 6y ago
  From the video in the article, it looks like the dog was deployed just to help make an arrest. Article is worded to imply the dog is in those projects permanently “surveilling” but there’s no facts to back that up.
  - snypher 6y ago
    How could it possibly have helped arrest someone? Seems like it's being deployed as a chilling effect on residents.
    - bananabiscuit 6y ago
      Here’s one possibility: Suspect is presumed to be armed and violent. A robot with cameras is sent into his apartment to scout instead of risking an officers life.
      - snypher 6y ago
        I meant in this case. The article implies the human police deescalated the situation. A robot dog wouldn't make this any easier, and seems more likely to escalate the situation.
        drak0n1c 6y ago
        Send a disposable non-lethal robot in first so that any misunderstanding or ambush leads to a broken robot, and not dead residents or police.
        ilaksh 6y ago
        They said it was there as backup. So they said well, maybe we will want to send the dog in to look, we will bring it in case. Then they got there and started talking to the guy, probably behind a door since they said he was barricaded. He eventually responded to that. So the guy didn't really get to use the robot. They didn't necessarily know they would be able to get into the apartment or room or communicate with him. The dog is just a mobile camera that is more expendable than sending in a person to scout out a situation.
  - peanut_worm 6y ago
    Even if it were just for an arrest it is covered in cameras
- drak0n1c 6y ago
  It seems that way, but it could be an improvement for all parties. If police can avoid putting themselves into high stakes face-to-face situations, the less civilians and police will die from misunderstanding or ambush. Non-lethal robots are disposable.
  - alisonkisk 6y ago
    That optimistic of you. Now you have a robot that can't be reasoned with pushing it's way into people's homes, and police with guns defending the robot against the populace.
- King-Aaron 6y ago
  Are you in the least bit surprised?
Bluestein 6y ago
Next up: Weaponized drones ...
Semiapies 6y ago
When it comes to drone surveillance, I have to admit I don't really worry much about an obvious, can't-miss-it, machine on the ground. It's just a continuation of previous robots used in bomb disposal and negotiation, at least until armed. Something small enough to sneak in somewhere is more of a privacy concern, and those can't be more than a couple decades away.
- ilaksh 6y ago
  I have seen lots of tiny drones in the news over the years.
bananabiscuit 6y ago
Impossible to count on any media outlet to give it to you straight anymore. This article is clearly designed to leave the reader believing that there are robot dogs patrolling the projects, oppressing their residents. They can’t lie outright in their articles, but they will try their best to mislead readers believing the lie they want to push regardless.
- jrm4 6y ago
  That doesn't strike me as outrageously misleading, merely prescient.
- alisonkisk 6y ago
  What exactly is the lie?
throwawaysea 6y ago
This seems like a lot of alarmism without concrete arguments as to why the robot dog is problematic. It also seems like an honest article should make a better attempt to represent the benefits or uses of such a device.
- alisonkisk 6y ago
  Maybe $70K can be better spent on fixing the officers' failure-prone bodycams than a robot. Why is the burden of proof on the rightly wary populace and not the police with their centuries long history of brutality?
aaron695 6y ago
It's not "creepy". This is misleading. It'll look as normal as a car or a mechanical digger or a drone or a camera. No one is going to see it and think creepy. Any other 'emotions' will normalise quickly to neutral.
- CodeWriter23 6y ago
  It’s creepy to those who have previously viewed the Black Mirror episode titled “Metalhead”
  - aaron695 6y ago
    Exactly, movies and books fool the brain. The feelings you feel have nothing to do with real life when you have all the senses, including proper visual. Just like the 2D uncanny valley pictures of robots aren't real in 3D ( good money as an artist if you could do a 3D uncanny valley ) 'Metalhead' in real life would just be about stress and other common emotions. Check out Screamers (1996) if you like Metalheads
siruncledrew 6y ago
>”It’s alarming to see them roll out these props from a bad Black Mirror episode” Wow, talk about shots fired at Black Mirror’s production value and storylines over the seasons.
Borrible 6y ago
It could have been really spooky. https://youtube.com/watch?v=wcFODj0uRKQ https://youtube.com/watch?v=wcFODj0uRKQ Minority Report (2002) Quiet prescient, wasn't it? ... Why again wasn't that worth a comment months ago? https://hn.algolia.com/?q=Nypd+robot https://hn.algolia.com/?q=Nypd+robot

22 points by decebalus1 6y ago

peanut_worm 6y ago

Kind of sad to see the funny dancing dog robot video and then its first application for police surveillance...

bananabiscuit 6y ago
From the video in the article, it looks like the dog was deployed just to help make an arrest. Article is worded to imply the dog is in those projects permanently “surveilling” but there’s no facts to back that up.
- snypher 6y ago
  How could it possibly have helped arrest someone? Seems like it's being deployed as a chilling effect on residents.
  - bananabiscuit 6y ago
    Here’s one possibility: Suspect is presumed to be armed and violent. A robot with cameras is sent into his apartment to scout instead of risking an officers life.
    - snypher 6y ago
      I meant in this case. The article implies the human police deescalated the situation. A robot dog wouldn't make this any easier, and seems more likely to escalate the situation.
      - drak0n1c 6y ago
        Send a disposable non-lethal robot in first so that any misunderstanding or ambush leads to a broken robot, and not dead residents or police.
      - ilaksh 6y ago
        They said it was there as backup. So they said well, maybe we will want to send the dog in to look, we will bring it in case. Then they got there and started talking to the guy, probably behind a door since they said he was barricaded. He eventually responded to that. So the guy didn't really get to use the robot. They didn't necessarily know they would be able to get into the apartment or room or communicate with him. The dog is just a mobile camera that is more expendable than sending in a person to scout out a situation.
- peanut_worm 6y ago
  Even if it were just for an arrest it is covered in cameras
drak0n1c 6y ago
It seems that way, but it could be an improvement for all parties. If police can avoid putting themselves into high stakes face-to-face situations, the less civilians and police will die from misunderstanding or ambush. Non-lethal robots are disposable.
- alisonkisk 6y ago
  That optimistic of you. Now you have a robot that can't be reasoned with pushing it's way into people's homes, and police with guns defending the robot against the populace.
King-Aaron 6y ago
Are you in the least bit surprised?

Bluestein 6y ago

Next up: Weaponized drones ...

Semiapies 6y ago

When it comes to drone surveillance, I have to admit I don't really worry much about an obvious, can't-miss-it, machine on the ground. It's just a continuation of previous robots used in bomb disposal and negotiation, at least until armed. Something small enough to sneak in somewhere is more of a privacy concern, and those can't be more than a couple decades away.

ilaksh 6y ago
I have seen lots of tiny drones in the news over the years.

bananabiscuit 6y ago

Impossible to count on any media outlet to give it to you straight anymore. This article is clearly designed to leave the reader believing that there are robot dogs patrolling the projects, oppressing their residents. They can’t lie outright in their articles, but they will try their best to mislead readers believing the lie they want to push regardless.

jrm4 6y ago
That doesn't strike me as outrageously misleading, merely prescient.
alisonkisk 6y ago
What exactly is the lie?

throwawaysea 6y ago

This seems like a lot of alarmism without concrete arguments as to why the robot dog is problematic. It also seems like an honest article should make a better attempt to represent the benefits or uses of such a device.

alisonkisk 6y ago
Maybe $70K can be better spent on fixing the officers' failure-prone bodycams than a robot. Why is the burden of proof on the rightly wary populace and not the police with their centuries long history of brutality?

aaron695 6y ago

It's not "creepy". This is misleading. It'll look as normal as a car or a mechanical digger or a drone or a camera. No one is going to see it and think creepy. Any other 'emotions' will normalise quickly to neutral.

CodeWriter23 6y ago
It’s creepy to those who have previously viewed the Black Mirror episode titled “Metalhead”
- aaron695 6y ago
  Exactly, movies and books fool the brain. The feelings you feel have nothing to do with real life when you have all the senses, including proper visual. Just like the 2D uncanny valley pictures of robots aren't real in 3D ( good money as an artist if you could do a 3D uncanny valley ) 'Metalhead' in real life would just be about stress and other common emotions. Check out Screamers (1996) if you like Metalheads

siruncledrew 6y ago

>”It’s alarming to see them roll out these props from a bad Black Mirror episode” Wow, talk about shots fired at Black Mirror’s production value and storylines over the seasons.

Borrible 6y ago

It could have been really spooky. https://youtube.com/watch?v=wcFODj0uRKQ https://youtube.com/watch?v=wcFODj0uRKQ Minority Report (2002) Quiet prescient, wasn't it? ... Why again wasn't that worth a comment months ago? https://hn.algolia.com/?q=Nypd+robot https://hn.algolia.com/?q=Nypd+robot