The new robot sentries guarding Microsoft’s Silicon Valley campus seem like something straight out of a futuristic sci-fi movie. According to ExtremeTech ( http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/194338-here-come-the-autonomous-robot-security-guards-what-could-possibly-go-wrong ), each of the K5 security guard robots from robotics company Knightscope ( http://knightscope.com ) stands 5 feet tall and weighs 300 pounds, so you probably don’t want to mess with one.
The K5 robots don’t come with any weapons onboard—thankfully—but they use a suite of alarms, sirens, and cameras to monitor and patrol the grounds of Microsoft’s campus. If one spots trouble, it’ll either sound an alarm or dispatch a human security guard to its location.
This discussion has been archived.
No new comments can be posted.
Microsoft Turns to Robotic Security Guards to Watch for Trouble
|
Log In/Create an Account
| Top
| 34 comments
| Search Discussion
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
(Score: 2) by Nerdfest on Tuesday November 25 2014, @03:12AM
Why am I imaging an unarmed version of ED-209?
(Score: 2) by cafebabe on Tuesday November 25 2014, @03:26AM
I was thinking of Short Circuit [wikia.com].
1702845791×2
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Nerdfest on Tuesday November 25 2014, @04:21AM
#5 worked a much too well to be a Microsoft product. Also, his design aesthetic is a little more 'Google'.
(Score: 1) by Anonoob on Tuesday November 25 2014, @08:44AM
I was picturing more of a sheldon bot - but operated out of a subcontenental call centre.
but seriously the ed-209 (as in armed walker) is more likely to be legal/accepted/implemented in remote controlled drone fom than as a fully automated unit (at least until someone makes the case for harming the operators was all that PTSD).
(Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 25 2014, @04:41AM
The demo will be, "Here.. pretend that you are giving him your resignation notice to go to Google."
(Score: 2) by MrNemesis on Tuesday November 25 2014, @01:32PM
From the picture, it looks more like a less threatening version of a Dalek [tomdickandharry.co.uk].
"To paraphrase Nietzsche, I have looked into the abyss and been sick in it."
(Score: 2) by RobotMonster on Tuesday November 25 2014, @01:53PM
It's a shame its unarmed.
I was hoping for a Blue Screen Of Death!
Muhahahah.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 25 2014, @03:14AM
What would Michael Brown have done were he confronted by one of these after robbing the convenience store?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 25 2014, @03:21AM
Probably offer it a toke on a dubbie.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 25 2014, @09:18AM
He wud have got shot #6times
(Score: 0, Offtopic) by combatserver on Tuesday November 25 2014, @03:25AM
Totally off-topic...but, it appears that much of the US media are running disinformation pieces regarding Ferguson, MO, hiding the fact that protests are starting to erupt in major cities throughout the US. LOTS of people are pissed right now.
I learned long ago that the only counterpoint to manipulated media here in the US is to be found at RT, the Russian propaganda outlet similar to our own CNN--they tell us the things that our own government doesn't want us to hear. Sure, it's propaganda, but it's someone else's propaganda. Currently, RT is getting SLAMMED and it is very hard to load pages from their servers (I suspect that I am not alone in being interested in hearing from someone other than US media on this subject), but see for yourself the difference between CNN and RT. Perhaps you can derive your own truth, found between the lines.
Sure, one must take ALL media with a grain of salt, but it is the difference between our media and theirs that is important. The US media have tried in earnest to make this a matter of race--it is not. It is about abuse of power, it is about cops that wield far too much power, it is about a corrupt judicial system that feeds off of the abuses of corrupt police, it is about YOU losing your rights, it is about the fact you may get shot in the face by a cop simply because he has had a bad day...and that there will be no justice when it happens.
Those in power are scared right now--they should be. We've all lived in a police-state for decades and this is what it might take for people to wake the fuck up and smell the coffee.
(and, yes, I've been "away" for quite some time...when most of what I see on the Internet is complete lies, can you really blame me for not wanting to participate any longer?)
I hope I can change this later...
(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 25 2014, @03:32AM
I'm not very concerned with what the mainstream media is or is not reporting. I'm concerned with the discussion that happened here some time ago regarding this matter.
Just over two months ago, the topic of the Ferguson incident was discussed here at SoylentNews [soylentnews.org].
It was a very heated discussion. But in hindsight, we can now see that some people were correct, and some people were wrong.
Those who defended Brown were clearly in the wrong. The physical and testimonial evidence presented to the Missouri grand jury proves this.
Based on what was said during the recent announcement regarding the grand jury's findings, Brown did rob the convenience store. Brown was walking down the center of a street, disrupting traffic. Brown did attack the armed police officer, who had to defend himself against this brutal attack.
It is important for us, as members of the SoylentNews community, to revisit our past discussion about this issue. This is how we will learn and grow.
Those who questioned Brown's innocence in this matter have been proven to have been correct.
Those who defended Brown, including notable SoylentNews members such as mcgrew, Tork, Phoenix666, and Thexalon, have been proven to have been wrong.
We should not fault them for being wrong in this case. Naïvety and an inability to face painful truths can affect us all.
But we should never forget how badly some SoylentNews members were treated merely because they dared express the truthful nature of this sad incident. They were admonished and ridiculed; they were incorrectly labeled as "racists". Yet these victims of disdain were absolutely correct in their analysis of Brown's role in this incident.
It is a shameful day when those who are in the right, and so obviously so, are treated with such disrespect. Let us hope that never again happens here.
(Score: 1, Offtopic) by combatserver on Tuesday November 25 2014, @04:30AM
"The physical and testimonial evidence presented to the Missouri grand jury proves this."
I should point out that that same Grand Jury was comprised of 9 white people and 3 black people--only 9 people had to be in agreement to come to a decision regarding an indictment. That being said, the deck was stacked before the Grand Jury was even convened. Did nobody notice that that same Grand Jury was not put together for quite some time, that there was plenty of time to wait until a favorable racial demographic was achieved? According to Missouri State Law, a Grand Jury is not assembled for a particular case, but for a duration of time, during which they are presented with whatever cases comes before them. The Grand Jury that was in session when the Darren Wilson case should have been presented was never given a chance to hear the evidence, nor decide on that case. Instead, time was allowed to pass until a Grand Jury with a different demographic make-up was sitting in session, a demographic historically favorable to Darren Wilson (white people), not Michael Brown (black people).
Here is another bit of information you should all digest, a quote from NPR: ( http://www.npr.org/2014/08/25/343143937/in-ferguson-court-fines-and-fees-fuel-anger [npr.org] )
"To understand some of the distrust of police that has fueled protests in Ferguson, Mo., consider this: In 2013, the municipal court in Ferguson — a city of 21,135 people — issued 32,975 arrest warrants for nonviolent offenses, mostly driving violations."
Now, if most of those people with warrants for driving offenses are black (Ferguson is 67.4% black, according to the 2010 census), and these warrants preclude them from serving on a Grand Jury (they do), then how is it possible to get a fairly balanced jury of one's peers? In short, the Ferguson Police Department handing out tickets to mostly black residents precludes black residents from ever serving on a Grand Jury, or any jury for that matter , in effect stacking the deck against them racially speaking. A black person in Ferguson is fucked before they ever even reach a courtroom, and white folks have got it easy.
A similar situation exists where I live because there are NINE overlapping legal jurisdictions in terms of law enforcement--fully 5% of the population here is law enforcement (I live near a border, and as a result fall under the jurisdiction of local law-enforcement, County law-enforcement, State law-enforcement and numerous federal agencies including ICE, Border Patrol, FBI, DEA and DHS.). You cannot put together a jury here that isn't 5% (or more) law-enforcement, in effect stacking the deck against anyone being tried in a criminal court, as jurors tend to believe them even when, during Jury selection, those same officers said they would always believe a cop over anyone else. And yes, I actually heard several cops state that during jury selection when I was called up for Jury duty. I stated at that time I thought the cards stacked against any defendant...and was dismissed from jury duty.
The cards were stacked against Justice in Ferguson, and in favor of Darren Wilson. This shit needs to change.
I hope I can change this later...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 25 2014, @04:44AM
Let me summarize the main points of your comment for those who don't have time to read it fully:
I think that just about sums up your comment.
(Score: 2) by combatserver on Tuesday November 25 2014, @05:04AM
"I think that just about sums up your comment."
No, that is one anonymous cowards summary of my comments. Nice try.
I hope I can change this later...
(Score: 2) by combatserver on Tuesday November 25 2014, @05:11AM
Nice to see you again, Cold Fjord.
It seems that I've once again warranted the "personal" attention you've been paid to dispense. That's great...it just means that I'm close to the mark, otherwise you wouldn't be wasting your time on me.
Thanks!
I hope I can change this later...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 25 2014, @04:58AM
The grand jury was convened in May, and was supposed to have been disbanded at the end of September, but this case kept them overtime. It was NOT set up just for this case.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 25 2014, @12:43PM
Please stop bringing facts into this discussion. They're racist.
(Score: 1, Offtopic) by LoRdTAW on Tuesday November 25 2014, @01:32PM
So what does that mean? That 9 white people would have inevitably convicted Brown simply based on the fact that they are white and he was Black? If it were the reverse, I guarantee Brown would be automatically innocent. I dont know the whole truth of the brown case, no one does because there is way too much noise. If the jury was 4 white, 4 black 4 hispanic and 4 asian people, everyone would still call that "stacked". If it was 50/50 the trial could possibly drag on for months if the black jurors are stubborn "fight the man" types.
Remember the OJ trial: 9 blacks, 2 whites one hispanic? The black community was from the get go crying racism and calling what everyone else called a murderer, innocent. I went to a high school that was 60% black. The day of the verdict, just about every black kid had a radio or walkman listening to the news. When the verdict of innocent was read the school erupted in cheers and rally cries. They were running out of classrooms into the halls and hugging eachother. It was insane. The only blacks I knew who didn't side with OJ kept VERY quiet about it and didn't admit it until years later. I knew black hispanics who called him guilty from the get-go and had no qualms about it. The only people I know to this day who support his innocence are pretty much screwed up in the head conspiracy types.
Blacks in the USA are a very downtrodden people, there is no doubt about that. But do not count on them being rational when it comes to matters like this. Most are ignorant and angry. They will side with their own kind blindly ignoring the facts. They don't care if the person is innocent or not, they will buck the system, fight the man, facts be damned.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 25 2014, @02:00PM
That 9 white people would have inevitably convicted Brown simply based on the fact that they are white and he was Black? If it were the reverse, I guarantee Brown would be automatically innocent.
Wow, way to go! Accusing someone else of being a bigot and then immediately doing exactly the same thing yourself only proves the OP's point for him.
They will side with their own kind blindly ignoring the facts.
Right back at you Whitey McWhiteWhite.
(Score: 2) by LoRdTAW on Tuesday November 25 2014, @04:04PM
Good lord.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 25 2014, @08:27PM
Actually you are kind of a crummy lord. Or perhaps are stereotypical ruling class lord with zero self-awareness.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 25 2014, @04:14AM
How do you explain away the video of Brown in the store, clearly acting in an abusive manner?
How do you explain away all of the footage and photographs of blacks looting and rioting in Ferguson a couple of months ago?
I find it difficult to blame everything on the police or the state when there's so much evidence to suggest that they're dealing with thugs in these situations.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 25 2014, @05:57AM
Let me try: almost all the white people were attending their police day job. The single one that didn't... well, he was taking the photos.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 25 2014, @12:49PM
Do you understand what propaganda is? The whole point of propanganda is to make the other party to look bad and color the "news" and outright lie about them. Trusting any sort of propaganda is not good. The Russians of course want to make USA to look as bad as they can and the truth has nothing to do with it. Read something else than the US or Russian "news". Read from parties who have none or less reason to lie.
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Tuesday November 25 2014, @03:33AM
EMP?
(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 25 2014, @05:50AM
Will debian exclude you if you make disparaging remarks about looters?
The already do if you make disparaging remarks about women:
http://slashdot.org/submission/4008795/debian-excludes-game-due-to-authors-views-on-women [slashdot.org]
(Score: 3, Funny) by Bot on Tuesday November 25 2014, @10:04AM
Hi,
This is a post by someone who routinely trolls Soylentnews. I doubt we want
any more poisonous discussion in Soylentnews, so I at least would prefer this
never get replied to.
Cheers,
Account abandoned.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 25 2014, @06:21AM
These look like they would be completely incapacitated with a standard black garbage bag pulled over the top.
(Score: 2) by Bot on Tuesday November 25 2014, @10:22AM
Apparently they are expensive compared to meatbags, but were employed for the job because (according to an undisclosed study) most humans, when put in a situation where somebody is trying to harm Microsoft, were found keen to help out.
Account abandoned.
(Score: 1) by BananaPhone on Tuesday November 25 2014, @02:56PM
If you google it you get pictures that look a lot like this thing.
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 25 2014, @04:29PM
That's 1.5 meters and 136 kilograms for those of us who don't live in Backwardsville.
(Score: 1) by modest on Tuesday November 25 2014, @04:48PM
That front picture in that article cracks me up. I'm picturing a montage:
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 25 2014, @05:25PM
How apt for the Evil Empire!