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.”
All I’m getting out of this is further proof that the “general publics” sense of safety exists entirely removed from anything fact based
First of all if you’re too scared to go into a store because you think your car is going to be robbed You’re probably too scared to live in public. However from the description it sounds like this thing’s just a tall camera? It can’t do anything except monitor? So how is this any better than those towers with cameras on them?
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.
“You are illegally parked on private property. You have twenty seconds to move your vehicle.” -ED-209
Sorry, I laughed. Did it do damage? What was the outcome?
Left some paint on the car but that was it.
Imagine shoplifting and they show up at the exit like:
“Pick up your gum wrapper. You have 20 seconds to comply…”
Pick up that can
gun wrapper
Ha, good catch. Damn you autocorrect!
I have a really cute video of my 3 year old daughter chasing one of those through the mall.
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.
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.
Right there with you, but there’s no legal expectation of privacy in public, so it’s futile to complain about on that basis. Especially when ring doorbell cams are everywhere already. So the silver lining is a security robot won’t do this.
maybe no legal expectation, however I ask you when were you or any other common person asked about legal expectations. don’t come with “everyone at election”, because everyone knows its not true, in any sense
Dude, we’re on the same side in this, I just know
whatsome battles have already been lost.
Unlikely, but there is still a chance. It could always call its pig cousins to brutalize or kill you on its behalf.
Fair point!
exactly my thought
people consumed all these dystopian movies and thought “what a great rubric for society!” we’re so fucked lol. These death machines (like drones and such) are also where the most work and funding go for machine learning and AI research too. What could go wroooong
This is relatively low on my list of privacy concerns, being that it seems to be patrolling and surveiling privately owned property.
it literally says it reads shit off your phone/other smart devices, you’re being tracked
privately owned property
quick, name a space that isn’t
It’s good that you’re concerned about the data your phone may be revealing to other nearby devices. It’s generally a good idea to have bluetooth/wifi/nfc turned off if you’re not actively using them. Even without the robot, you have no idea what data companies might be collecting when you’re physically on their property.
“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.
I’ve seen Chopping Mall and know how this is going to end
Runaway as well, but without the mall.
I’m glad someone else had this thought!
I wonder if it can be hacked to spin fast in nonstop circles the entire day?
Yelling “Meep morp… Zarrrp… Rooooobot”
Can’t wait for the rollout in Philadelphia https://edition.cnn.com/2015/08/03/us/hitchbot-robot-beheaded-philadelphia-feat/index.html
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.
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.
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.
I don’t have stats to back this up but most people, like high 90%, don’t turn any of that off.
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.
I agree with you that it sucks and is horrible. I wish there were more laws to protect us.
Everything I stated is just a quick summary of why these robot really don’t do much for data collection and is more of a money saving matter to not hire more security personal.
I would agree more if the thing was a product purchased and operated by the establishment, but these things are always run by a third party and their interests and affiliations have no oversight or accountability. What happens when there is an abortion clinic with one of these present. What happens when the controlling company is in KKK christo-jihad hell where women have no rights like Florida, Texas, or Alabama? What about when the police execute someone at random, who loses that recording? No one knows any of these factors or should need to when they wish to walk into a store. This device is stealing your right to autonomy and citizenship as a result.
christo-jihad
“What are we, a bunch of Muslims?”
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.
