It was inevitable that security robots would one-day patrol low-income neighborhoods around the clock to ensure everyone was abiding by the rules. This dystopic future is becoming a reality for one apartment complex in Las Vegas.
Robotics maker Knightscope deployed a human-sized autonomous robot to a noisy northeast Las Vegas Valley apartment, said the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “Westy” has been patrolling Liberty Village Apartments near Craig Road and Lamb Boulevard since October 2020.
Westy employs an array of cameras, four in total, along with facial recognition technology, license plate reading, verbal warnings, and internet connectivity to human security officers if an incident occurs.
“It’s been very useful in several ways,” said complex manager Carmen Batiz.
“It can advise people when they are out past the 10 p.m. curfew, and the four video cameras tend to make people avoid it. When we have vandalism reports, we can go through the video and get a time frame of when it happened. It has a button so people can get human help quick in an emergency.
“People don’t want to get caught on the cameras so they will avoid it,” Batiz said.
Liberty Village Apartments was one of the top three northeast Las Vegas residential living areas for 911 calls. Many of the folks are working-poor Americans, situated in an area known for crime and vandalism.
Westy has had some success over the last several months as 911 calls have dropped and crime is lower. Batiz said, “We have eight other properties, and we’re going to bring on more robots, and even the Wynn had people come check it out.”
“Every resident has the right to live in a crime-free, safe and clean environment, and Westy helps contribute to that,” said Batiz.
Here’s KSNV News 3 Las Vegas’s report on ‘robocop’ as it patrols the apartment complex
More or less, private companies who manage residential multi-family complexes are resorting to automation and artificial intelligence to deter violence, theft, and murders as the post-pandemic world become a more dangerous place.
Changes are coming to metro areas as well. The working-poor will feel more oppressed as big brother will continue to monitor their every move through innovative ways such as human-sized autonomous robots.
It’s only a matter of time before local governments and municipalities, and even state governments employ fleets of human-sized autonomous robots to maintain law and order.
We should remind readers NYPD’s Boston Dynamics robot dog for ground surveillance of low-income neighborhoods is already underway…
What’s next is the unveiling of predictive policing via artificial intelligence that will monitor low-income neighborhoods if there’s a potential flare-up in a crime or social disobedience. Maybe by that time, the Federal Reserve could instantly reload people’s bank accounts in those troubled areas with Fedcoin (digital US dollars) to keep the impoverished at bay.
