With people increasingly losing their jobs to robots, you could say this is adding insult to injury.
The little crime-fighters scoot around sidewalks using lasers and sensors looking for criminal activity. The effect is to deter homeless people from camping along sidewalks. These robots have not been deployed by police however. They have been put to work by the San Francisco SPCA which ironically facilitates adoptions of homeless animals.
Robots are being used to deter homeless people from setting up camp in San Francisco
Krista Maloney, media relations manager for the SF SPCA, told Business Insider that staff wasn’t able to safely use the sidewalks at times because of the encampments. Maloney added that since the SPCA started guarding its facilities with a robot — known as K9 — a month ago, the homeless encampments have dwindled and there have been fewer car break-ins.
They don’t look all that formidable to me.
Here it is in action pic.twitter.com/nSBQUmKwk1
— Sam Dodge (@samueldodge) December 9, 2017
The City of San Francisco is threatening to fine the SPCA up to $1,000 a day for operating the robots on sidewalks without a permit. Automated payment accepted?
Robots could taken over 38% of U.S. jobs within about 15 years, report says
OK, so the city of San Fran might fine the SPCA for operating the robots on sidewalks without a permit; even though, the SPCA is not currently able to safely use the city’s sidewalks due to the homeless encampments. I’ll bet the homeless people aren’t ticketed/fined/arrested for illegally (I presume?) setting up housekeeping on the city’s walkways, preventing others from lawfully navigating the areas, etc. SMH! It feels like “Game Over, Man!” for California and probably many of this nation’s larger cities. Some adult needs to get involved & put a stop to this madness.
Gee, I didn’t know adults lived in “Frisco”…
Ut oh. Movie murals on buildings, now robotos.
Turns out the SPCA was using Daleks to vaporize homeless people.
Oh my word, Maynard! I just followed your link & read the piece on the Daleks – loved it! Thank you for sharing!