The NYPD has announced a pilot program to deploy a Knightscope robot "sometime in the summer, around June or July" which they hope to last "approximately six months". This market is about whether the pilot program will last several months.
Jeffrey Maddrey, NYPD chief: "The K5, this is a leased piece of technology, we do not own this technology. We are in agreement to use just one for now as a pilot. And we would like to start this pilot sometime in the summer, around June or July, to last for approximately six months. And we're looking to initially deploy it either in Times Square or the subway station.
For the first month of this appointment we will have a human partner along with the artificial intelligence, the device. One of our members from TARU will help monitor it and make sure that it's working properly."
NYTimes: "the Police Department will test out a five-foot-tall robot, manufactured by Knightscope, in the Times Square subway station starting this summer. The department’s seven-month contract, which includes three months to ready the device for use and four months for testing it, will cost $12,250, according to a City Hall spokesman. Initially, the robot will be accompanied by a police officer."
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/11/nyregion/nypd-digidog-robot-crime.html
1,000
3.00Hi all - per Chris's comment below, it's not 100% confirmed that whether the K5 is deployed on December 15th. I'm looking for ways to be sure. Here's a tweet from a couple of weeks ago that indicates it was there then:
https://x.com/GingerJim5/status/1731514327167820095?s=20
I just saw a news story about a different robot being used in police action. I imagine those news stories will also comment on the Times Square K5 robot; I'll see if they give a definitive statement.
all that to say - thanks for your patience - I am looking into it!
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.
...
For the first two weeks of its deployment, K5 will be training and learning protocols before it’s set to start patrol activities.
https://mobilerobotguide.com/2023/09/29/nypd-deploys-knightscope-security-robot-in-manhattan-subway/
Note the "eventually". Lots of the images I've seen perhaps suggest they are all from an unveiling photo-op. Not at all sure whether it is "deployed" on 15 Dec 2023.