If only there was a simpler solution, such as gun control. Unfortunately, the United States is forced to resort to technological solutions to monitor campuses and prevent (or mitigate) mass shootings, with 46 such killings occurring in the year 2022. According to the wall street journal, several school districts are experimenting with robotic surveillance on campuses in a pilot program this summer. This is the case of the district of Santa Fe.
The robot that crisscrosses the Santa Fe campus is offered by Team 1st Technologies, a company founded in 2007 in Albuquerque (New Mexico, United States), but is designed by SMP Robotics. It is equipped with four wheels, moves independently, and has a kind of periscope where a 360ยบ camera system is housed. A megaphone also allows you to communicate with people around you.
Face and weapon recognition disabled
“Using artificial intelligence, the robot studies normal school activity patterns and detects individuals who are on campus outside of working hours or who display aggressive behaviorexplains the company to our colleagues. In the event of an active shooter or other threat, the robot could alert the security team. It could move towards the intruder and transmit video footage”.
The robot is not armed but can come into contact with any intruders. It is also equipped with a facial recognition system, according to data from the manufacturer, but it seems that this system is deactivated as part of this experiment. The school also chose to disable the robot’s weapon detection functions. They could be activated later, depending on the results obtained.
If the 1st Technologies team flies the robot for free in Santa Fe over the summer, the company could charge $60-70,000 for its services for the 2023-2024 school year. For the moment, nothing says that it will be maintained in activity.