Fountain fall doesn't dampen enthusiasm for security robots

WASHINGTON – On his first day at work as a security guard, Steve was greeted warmly, drawing attention from passers-by, including some taking selfies with him at the tony retail-residential complex he patrolled. Then he fell into the fountain. Steve was a security robot employed by the Washington Harbour center in the Georgetown district of the U.S. capital. According to some tech watchers, robots like Steve herald a new era for intelligent machines assisting in crime prevention and law enforcement. Steve's mishap in mid-July set of a flurry of reaction on social media, with some joking that the robot had "drowned" or committed suicide.