cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/19944734
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - A sight previously thought to be science fiction is very real at a southeast Kansas City shopping center. Instead of a police officer, a security robot has been patrolling sidewalks and shoppers are taking notice.
Since Marshall the robot has been on the job, shoppers say the experiences have completely changed when they come to these stores. The robot can spend 23 hours a day monitoring the parking lot from all angles which gives people a new sense of protection and ease they don’t always have when out.
Marshall took over security at Brywood Centre in April. Before that, Karen White noticed a lot of trouble outside the shopping center.
“Sometimes it’d be concerning for your car like someone could take it or something,” White said.
Knowing now that Marshall is always watching, the risk of crime does not worry her or others as much.
“It made it very better, like you can’t be in the parking lot without seeing the robot,” White continued. “So, I think it scared them off.”
One of these hit my car. It was out patrolling randomly in a parking lot and I pulled up to get a better look at it. I stopped like 6 ft in front of it but it just kept on coming and ran into my fucking car.
Imagine shoplifting and they show up at the exit like:
“Pick up your gum wrapper. You have 20 seconds to comply…”
gun wrapper
Ha, good catch. Damn you autocorrect!
Does it resemble a Dalek on purpose, I wonder?
It’s like if Aperture Science designed a Dalek
Perfection
I think so, lol. Dalek security guards are scary indeed.
I’ve seen Chopping Mall and know how this is going to end
I’m glad someone else had this thought!
BIG BROTHER advanced to level 3.
On the one hand, yes, on the other hand, it’s unlikely to brutalize or kill people for minor offenses, so maybe a win for a public space?
I don’t know about you but I don’t like to be watched by big brother all the time.
Unlikely, but there is still a chance. It could always call its pig cousins to brutalize or kill you on its behalf.
Can’t wait for the rollout in Philadelphia https://edition.cnn.com/2015/08/03/us/hitchbot-robot-beheaded-philadelphia-feat/index.html
“Sometimes it’d be concerning for your car like someone could take it or something,” White said.
Wow, that couldn’t be a better sentence to highlight the layers of meaning in that comment.
This is relatively low on my list of privacy concerns, being that it seems to be patrolling and surveiling privately owned property.
Radio signals don’t recognize property boundaries.
I live under a rock and don’t get out much due to physical disability, but I don’t see a security improvement. I see a data mining monstrosity and further reason to avoid local retail.
They are already data mining you without these robots.
They use facial recognition on cameras. They use OCR on your license plate and scan your toll pass. They use your phone location if you connect to their “free” wifi. They track your bluetooth devices that’s constantly looking to connect. They track you foot traffic and see what stores, what aisle, what product you picked it up and how long you had it in your hands.
Google “Target loss prevention” stories of frequent shoplifters that had profiles on them for months and stop them when they can charge for grand larceny rather than petite larceny. There is a reason why Westfield malls are everywhere. It’s easier for them to control their own data than to constantly buy or contract out data from other companies.
These bots are probably getting more data but they are more for security. A moving camera is more of criminal deterrent just because it is moving. These bots are so they don’t have to pay for more security guards than anything else.
And that makes this thing OK?
“More for security”. How does boot taste?
These things track every Bluetooth device, every phone, every watch, every headset, etc, etc.
It’s yet another increase in surveillance, and “it’s not a big deal because that’s already happening” is your response?
Oh, and I’d bet a year’s salary these are leased, and the vendor owns all the collected data.
This is about data collection, not security.
How does boot taste?
Things losers say, even if the rest of their argument is sound.
It is not like I fail to understand the use case. My issue is that data mining me is stealing from me. It is taking a part of my digital entity to manipulate me. It is digital slavery. To be okay with such a thing is to enslave one’s self; it is to fail at a fundamental understand of the three pillars of democracy and the role of freedom of information and the press. Forfeiting your right to ownership over your digital self undermines the entire democratic system of governance and is an enormous sociopolitical regression to the backwardness of feudalism.
No ancient citizen of a democracy wanted feudalism. These things do not have a parade to welcome them, a coup, or a changing of the guard. This change is a killer in your sleep and a small amount of poison added to each of your meals. Every little concession is a forfeit of future people’s rights. This is that poison. I will go hungry. Enjoy your meal, I respect your right to eat it; after you’ve been warned of its contents. I reserve my right to speak of the poison to any that will listen.
It’s a roving mobile camera. It doesn’t get distracted easily or bored or tired and isn’t apathetic and It doesn’t hate its job. Criminals don’t want to be filmed doing their crime.
Normally if you are not actively doing anything provably wrong the mall cops will just kick you out, this thing is going to provide evidence to the actual police.
But I have to admit any significant security advantages that it provides are going to be short-lived while the thieves just change their plan. They’ll just have to be faster and more aware of where this thing is, or do a better job of hiding their face.
It’s gotta be pretty easy to disable.
Wear a mask and gloves, walk up with what, a stun gun and give it a nice jolt. Or just throw a wire mesh bag over it.
Other similar bots have been pushed into fountains.
Yeah taking it out of the picture isn’t the problem but that starts the timer. The thing’s being remotely monitored and that would bring the police
Ideally the criminals want to loiter. Look for targets.
I strongly suspect if you were able to get enough tagged data for shoppers versus Nair do wells, purely from video surveillance footage you could target potential thieves based on location of movement characteristics.
Avoid local retail in favor of what, a website? If you’re concerned about the data mining potential of this robot rolling around a strip mall then you should avoid the internet at all costs.
Gaylord fartmaster makes an excellent point.
I wonder if it can be hacked to spin fast in nonstop circles the entire day?
Yelling “Meep morp… Zarrrp… Rooooobot”
