"No Breaks Needed, Just $12 per Hour"… New York's 'Robot Police' Ultimately Fail

The ambitious attempt by the New York Police Department (NYPD) to entrust subway station security to robots ultimately ended in failure. Contrary to expectations, the robot police were found to have long charging times and limited operational range, resulting in little effectiveness.

The New York Times (NYT) reported on the 2nd (local time) that "NYPD has discontinued the trial operation of the police robot K5, produced by the American robot manufacturer Knightscope."

The K5 is an egg-shaped white robot about 159 cm tall and weighing 180 kg, with a top speed of 4.8 km/h when moving. It records 360-degree footage of pedestrians passing by using four HD cameras and one infrared thermal imaging camera, which can be used as evidence in case of crimes.

The city authorities viewed the greatest advantage of the robot police as significantly lower labor costs compared to humans. Mayor Adams said, "The K5 can be operated at $9 per hour (about 12,000 won)." Additionally, unlike humans, it does not need to use the restroom or take breaks or meal times.

Robot police K5 deployed by the New York Police Department (NYPD) at subway stations
[Image source: Provided by Knightscope]

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However, contrary to expectations, the K5 did not play a significant role in maintaining public safety. Although it could work without rest, it required a considerable amount of time each day for charging. Moreover, even though it could operate autonomously without human control, it was deployed in teams with one officer, so the manpower reduction effect was not substantial.

A New York citizen said, "Seeing an officer always standing next to the robot, I was confused whether the robot was protecting the officer or the officer was protecting the robot."

Also, since it moves on wheels, it could not go up and down stairs, limiting its operational range. The city of New York, reflecting concerns from human rights groups, did not use the facial recognition function of the cameras. Ultimately, the robot police’s functions were not fully utilized.

The city of New York stated on the same day that "we will consider assigning other tasks to the K5" and expressed its intention to actively adopt new technologies in the future.

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