This robot, both in appearance and functionality, is a long way from the police robot that protected Detroit residents in the sci-fi movie series RoboCop. Nevertheless, this rather unusual robot can be useful, because it helps keep a safe distance between police officers and stopped drivers, some of whom argue with law enforcers and often show aggression, which results in bodily injuries and fatalities.
Reuben Brewer’s team from SRI International’s R&D department is developing the robot policeman. In addition to distancing police officers from drivers, this robot can be useful when a car has been stopped on the side of a highway with heavy traffic.
This robot is not a complete replacement for a live person. Police officers, as before, stop the offender’s vehicle by traditional means. But what happens next is quite different from the usual scenario. The police officers remain seated in their vehicle, and a robot, which is attached to the end of a long telescopic arm, advances toward the stopped vehicle.
The robot is equipped to provide two-way audio and video communication between police officers and drivers. But it is more than just a camera on a long stick. The robot is equipped with a barcode scanner that reads driver’s license information, and a built-in thermal printer can quickly print out a ticket.
Advancing toward the stopped vehicle, the robot rolls out a spiked lane, which, if anything, will damage at least one wheel and prevent the suspect from fleeing. It is possible that in the event of an escalated conflict with the police, the drivers of the stopped car could damage the camera and tablet computer, which is used as the “face” of the robot policeman. Therefore, the replacement of these components is simplified to the maximum and this procedure can be handled by a police officer, who will get the spare parts from the trunk of the police car.
