175

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.”

top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[-] mrpalmer16@lemmy.ml 54 points 2 months ago

Does it resemble a Dalek on purpose, I wonder?

[-] grrgyle@slrpnk.net 41 points 2 months ago

It's like if Aperture Science designed a Dalek

[-] JulesTheModest@sh.itjust.works 14 points 2 months ago

I think so, lol. Dalek security guards are scary indeed.

[-] Empricorn@feddit.nl 53 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

"Pick up your gum wrapper. You have 20 seconds to comply..."

[-] spankmonkey@lemmy.world 12 points 2 months ago
[-] Empricorn@feddit.nl 10 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Ha, good catch. Damn you autocorrect!

load more comments (2 replies)
[-] Srootus@sh.itjust.works 47 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Imagine shoplifting and they show up at the exit like:

[-] joelfromaus@aussie.zone 5 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)
load more comments (2 replies)
[-] lazylion_ca@lemmy.ca 43 points 2 months ago

He has a license plate reader, he has facial recognition, he can read IP addresses from your cell phone or watch,”

Uhhhh.... How is it reading the ip addresses of people's phones?

[-] Vendetta9076@sh.itjust.works 12 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

I imagine it MITM's the wifi? Obviously wouldn't work with cellular but thats the only this claim can ve even remotely true.

That being said they could do some shit with malicious bluetooth/NFC behaviour

[-] delirious_owl@discuss.online 6 points 2 months ago

Well its probably not a MITM if its just an official access point

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (4 replies)
[-] icedterminal@lemmy.world 9 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Someone made a mistake here. It's not getting your IP address. An IP address is assigned by the gateway when you're connected to an access point. An IP address is not an identity. They are always changing and can be shared. This has already been tested and upheld in court.

It's actually collecting your MAC address. Which is exchanged when your phone or tablet scan nearby WiFi points or Bluetooth devices. However, this can already be defeated. By default iOS and Android both have the option to randomise the MAC address in intervals. Making it extremely difficult to prove anything. This feature exists because the devices real MAC address never changes. It is unique. Alternatively, users can disable WiFi and Bluetooth scanning entirely. However, your device no longer participates in the Find My Devices program by Apple and Google, location does take longer to acquire in some scenarios, and accuracy may take longer to triangulate.

load more comments (1 replies)
[-] delirious_owl@discuss.online 9 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

It probably just has a WiFi repeater in it

[-] chicken@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 2 months ago

I bet it was something like the hardware id instead but she misspoke

load more comments (2 replies)
[-] Iheartcheese@lemmy.world 36 points 2 months ago

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.

[-] Murdoc@sh.itjust.works 22 points 2 months ago

"You are illegally parked on private property. You have twenty seconds to move your vehicle." -ED-209

[-] wesker@lemmy.sdf.org 15 points 2 months ago

Sorry, I laughed. Did it do damage? What was the outcome?

[-] Iheartcheese@lemmy.world 18 points 2 months ago

Left some paint on the car but that was it.

load more comments (1 replies)
[-] EherNicht@feddit.org 26 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

BIG BROTHER advanced to level 3.

[-] octopus_ink@lemmy.ml 20 points 2 months ago

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?

[-] EherNicht@feddit.org 9 points 2 months ago

I don’t know about you but I don’t like to be watched by big brother all the time.

[-] octopus_ink@lemmy.ml 6 points 2 months ago

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.

load more comments (4 replies)
load more comments (1 replies)
[-] nokturne213@sopuli.xyz 7 points 2 months ago

Unlikely, but there is still a chance. It could always call its pig cousins to brutalize or kill you on its behalf.

load more comments (1 replies)
[-] Alpha71@lemmy.world 25 points 2 months ago
[-] CitizenKong@lemmy.world 12 points 2 months ago

CITIZEN! DO NOT BE ALARMED! YOU WILL FEEL A SMALL TICKLING SENSATION AND THEN DEATH!

load more comments (2 replies)
[-] wesker@lemmy.sdf.org 22 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

This is relatively low on my list of privacy concerns, being that it seems to be patrolling and surveiling privately owned property.

[-] BearOfaTime@lemm.ee 5 points 2 months ago

Radio signals don't recognize property boundaries.

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (1 replies)
[-] njm1314@lemmy.world 20 points 2 months ago

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?

load more comments (3 replies)
[-] Reverendender@sh.itjust.works 14 points 2 months ago
[-] anarcho_blinkenist@lemmy.ml 6 points 2 months ago

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

load more comments (4 replies)
[-] ohellidk@sh.itjust.works 13 points 2 months ago

I wonder if it can be hacked to spin fast in nonstop circles the entire day?

load more comments (1 replies)
[-] j4k3@lemmy.world 13 points 2 months ago

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.

[-] gaylord_fartmaster@lemmy.world 12 points 2 months ago

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.

[-] wesker@lemmy.sdf.org 14 points 2 months ago

Gaylord fartmaster makes an excellent point.

[-] linearchaos@lemmy.world 5 points 2 months ago

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.

load more comments (5 replies)
load more comments (27 replies)
[-] protist@mander.xyz 12 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

I've seen Chopping Mall and know how this is going to end

[-] theyllneverfindmehere@lemmy.world 5 points 2 months ago

I'm glad someone else had this thought!

load more comments (1 replies)
[-] octopus_ink@lemmy.ml 11 points 2 months ago

“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.

[-] Mwa@lemm.ee 10 points 2 months ago

Imagine it had guns and tasers its gonna end horribly

[-] ben_dover@lemmy.ml 9 points 2 months ago

did the engineers install red leds in the eyes? if yes we might have a problem

[-] HowManyNimons@lemmy.world 9 points 2 months ago
[-] Etterra@lemmy.world 7 points 2 months ago

This'll last until somebody with a mask spray paints the cameras.

load more comments (1 replies)
[-] friend_of_satan@lemmy.world 6 points 2 months ago

I have a really cute video of my 3 year old daughter chasing one of those through the mall.

[-] delirious_owl@discuss.online 6 points 2 months ago

If I give the robot a wegie and put a piece of dirty underwear in its head, will it shoot me?

[-] targetx@programming.dev 8 points 2 months ago
load more comments (2 replies)
[-] frigidaphelion@lemmy.world 5 points 2 months ago

We have protectrons in malls now?!

[-] foremanguy92_@lemmy.ml 4 points 2 months ago

It could only be a joke. It is? Oh shit...

load more comments
view more: next ›
this post was submitted on 21 Sep 2024
175 points (95.3% liked)

Privacy

32120 readers
294 users here now

A place to discuss privacy and freedom in the digital world.

Privacy has become a very important issue in modern society, with companies and governments constantly abusing their power, more and more people are waking up to the importance of digital privacy.

In this community everyone is welcome to post links and discuss topics related to privacy.

Some Rules

Related communities

much thanks to @gary_host_laptop for the logo design :)

founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS