Universe of crime-fighting robots expanding

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (KGO) -- The march continues toward a world where robots will be integrated into human efforts to fight crime.

Knightscope, based in Mountain View, revealed two new robots this morning that will expand its early foothold in a few shopping malls and commercial buildings. The K1 is a stationary robot that can be equipped with wave-emitting technology to identify concealed or chemical weapons. It is designed for high-volume, high-traffic areas such as airports or offices where people would file past the robot.

The new K7 is a dune-buggy looking mobile vehicle that can be deployed in large areas that need patrolling, such as oil or gas fields. These new robots join two existing ones that are mobile and have already been seen in Bay Area shopping malls.

The K1 weighs 150 pounds and is 5' 2" tall. The mobile K7 is 4'7" tall and weighs 770 pounds. Both models will be deployed in 2018.

Knightscope offers these devices as part of a "security-as-a-service" model. It charges about $7 an hour for comprehensive security monitoring.

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