The Knightscope K5 - Autonomous Data Machine - Robocop Drone Hits American Streets

Update: 9/30/2014

WTF? @knightscope in #FosterCity streets with #Robocop. I'll pay $100 to the first hacker that hijacks that shit pic.twitter.com/3hUrXOxZ1k
— #OpenYourMind (@TwistedPolitix) October 1, 2014

The local neighborhood watch may be beefing up its robotic arsenal if a new technology startup gets its way anytime soon. In a bid to make local communities safer and give local law enforcement agencies more tools to fight crime, California-based Knightscope recently unveiled a line of K5 robots that it believes will predict and prevent crime with an innovative combination of hardware, software and social engagement. The new K5 units have a look that resembles R2-D2 from Star Wars, but their casual design masks a highly advanced robot that its creators hope will drastically cut down on crime. Weighing in at 300 pounds, the five-foot K5 can patrol a neighborhood and uses a built-in laser to form a 3D map of the surrounding area in 270-degree sweeps. Four built-in cameras, meanwhile, are capable of scanning up to 1,500 license plates a minute.