A business in Portland, Oregon, is deploying an autonomous security robot to patrol around its premises in the city’s downtown area, according to KPTV.
Desperate #Portland firm turns to ROBOCOP: Real estate bosses deploy #robot security to patrol outside skyscraper – as over HALF of residents say they want to leave Democrat-run city due to homelessness and crime pic.twitter.com/sDV8oieEqg
— Hans Solo (@thandojo) December 15, 2023
The robot, given the name “Rob,” is a 24/7 surveillance robot intended to patrol the parking garage and surrounding area of “Big Pink,” a skyscraper owned by real estate conglomerate Unico, KPTV reported.
Rob has thermal imaging capabilities and a two-way intercom, allowing residents to communicate with a security desk on the other end, according to the outlet.
“It’s like interacting with a human, because there is a human on the other side,” Keren Eichen, a representative of Unico Properties, said, according to KPTV. “If you stop and speak to the robot, you know that there’s someone on the other side who’s answering your questions who can give you directions, can tell you happy holidays.”
The robot will not have the capacity to call 911, KPTV reported. (RELATED: ‘It’s Not Right’: Blue City Struggles To Keep Up With Homeless, Migrant Crises)
In Portland, homelessness is on the rise, homicides have tripled from 2019 numbers and petty crime like car thefts are way up, according to a report from Anchorage Daily News. Over 11,000 vehicles were allegedly stolen in the city in 2022, almost double the 6,500 that were reportedly stolen in 2019, the outlet continued.