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The NYPD is piloting a 420-pound robocop to roam Times Square's subway station
- hilbert42 3y agoI hope it's anchored in some way to the platform so that it cannot be pushed onto the tracks. At 420 pounds that could derail the train and have horrendous consequences. Just because someone could be identified doesn't necessarily mean that some lunatic (or group thereof) wouldn't attempt it.
- i_am_jl 3y agoNo, it's mobile and self-powered. I'm vaguely familiar with that station, from what I remember there's a very large mezzanine level that's below the street but still upstairs from the platforms, I imagine that's where it's going to be used.
- sschueller 3y agoOne unit already fell into a pool so it only going to be a matter of time until this thing falls on the tracks...
- hilbert42 3y agoIt's been some years since I've been there so I'm a bit out of touch, so thanks for the info. That's a worry (seems they're more interested in the toy than practical safety).
- aragonite 3y agoI think derailment would be unlikely as the train would be slowing to a stop, no? Unless you are picturing something way more adventurous ...
- hilbert42 3y agoI'd prefer not to think about the consequences. But I recall hearing a news report when I was a kid where some lunatic placed a horseshoe on a track and derailed a goods train (fortunately no one was hurt). Apparently, this prank was the stupid and unthoughtful escalation of the common but dangerous practice of flattening copper pennies (dangerous to the placer of the penny—not the train). Now that you've forced me to think about it, if it fell onto the tracks at the point where the train exits the tunnel then the train is still going at considerable speed. If at that point it broke rather than slid (caused, say, by a protruding part getting caught/jammed between a tie and the ground) then the scenario could end up being very nasty.
- lofaszvanitt 3y agoI can't wait headlines about people who somehow pulled the robot upon themselves and died. And now the family want 55 million dollars to ease the pain.
- davidmr 3y agoOr, you know, $5 worth of spray paint.
- netsharc 3y agoBetter pics: https://www.knightscope.com/products/k5 https://www.knightscope.com/products/k5 The dystopia looks slick, I was expecting ED-209[1]... [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYsulVXpgYg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYsulVXpgYg
- orbital-decay 3y agoYeah it looks more like a Protectron than a ED-209. Seems to be awkward like one too. [1] [1] https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2017/07/knightscope-k5-security-bot-drowned/ https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2017/07/knightscope-k5-secur...
- krapp 3y agoWow. The cops have a lot of hubris if they assume this thing isn't going to go down in a hail of bullets and bat-blows.
- jonahbenton 3y agoI am hopeful some of our intrepid youth will in short order disable this thing. Our corrupt and idiotic mayor, a former cop, will no doubt try again. But moves like this cannot stand.
- footlose_3815 3y agoDaleks
- Gibbon1 3y agoSomeone needs to introduce a bill to require that the robocop be accompanied by a uniformed union transit worker carrying a lantern at all times.
- iancmceachern 3y agoWe have (or had? Haven't seen it in a bit) one of those Knightscope things on our block in SF. It's a giant 400lb thing with a few cameras. It wonders around in a pre defined area, playing pre recorded messages when it thinks things are in its way that shouldn't be. It seems deliberately designed to be smooth on the outside and shaped such that it would be difficult to grab it and do anything like load it in a truck. That's it, that's the product. I dont see how it helps, it was nothing more than a novelty and distraction in our neighborhood. Honestly, the thing like this that seems to do the most good are those trailer mounted surveillance towers with 25/7 monitored cameras, police lights and megaphone.
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