Did This Robot Commit Suicide?
Local Editor
A robot that bears a passing resemblance to the famed "Star Wars" droid was patrolling for criminal activity outside a Washington, DC, office building when it plunged into a water fountain on Monday.
The Knightscope K5's demise at the Washington Harbour complex in Georgetown went viral - with social media users speculating that it may have decided to commit robocide.
Images circulated of the erstwhile roving crime fighter lying on its side in shallow water as rescuers tried to figure out how to save it, the Washington Post reported.
"Our D.C. office building got a security robot. It drowned itself," tweeted Bilal Farooqui, who went on to mock of 21st century technology. "We were promised flying cars, instead we got suicidal robots."
The 4-foot-tall RoboCop wannabe, which tumbled down some steps and into its watery grave, began operating at the complex in recent days, according to an office worker, the paper reported.
It is not the first accident involving Knightscope's robots, which are equipped with face-recognition systems, high-definition video capture and infrared sensors.
Last year, a 16-month-old toddler was run over by one of the devices in a Silicon Valley shopping center, the BBC reported.
Knightscope, a Silicon Valley start-up, said Monday's episode was "an isolated event" and promised to deliver a new robot for free.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team
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