Police Robots with Artificial Intelligence Patrol the Block like Beat Cops

The Silicon Valley-based company Knightscope has sold more than 50 of its artificial intelligence-powered, autonomous security robots to more than 20 clients. Their conical, five-foot robots feature four cameras and can scan license plates and pick up on individual cell phones' MAC addresses. While they don't look like a classic police officer with dress blues, they patrol the block at walking speed to keep neighborhoods safe. Their effectiveness has been difficult to prove so far, but behaviorally, they bring to mind the issue of humanoid robots. In his video series Robotics, Dr. John Long, Professor of Cognitive Science on the John Guy Vassar Chair of Natural History at Vassar College, explained how humanoid robots are becoming more like us.