A 50-year-old real estate company purchased and installed two autonomous security robots from Knightscope near the Crypto.com Arena in Downtown Los Angeles. Knightscope contributes to blue light emergency communications systems and automated security systems.
The area surrounding the Crypto.com Arena is a busy section of Downtown Los Angeles that houses several restaurants, bars, concert venues, convention centers, hotels, and more. The multi-use area sees enormous foot and vehicle traffic but has yet to be known for being a particularly secure area. The two new K1 towers will provide residents, visitors, and employees with a safer environment per Knightscope’s mission.
Knightscope’s long-term goal is to make the United States the safest country globally by providing top-of-the-line security and emergency response systems. In a recently released blog post, the company described its plan for securing commercial real estate like the Crypto.com Arena area. Knightscope outlines a four-step plan that uses K5 ASRs to monitor parking lots, K1 Hemispheres in building lobbies, and K5 and K3 ASRs to patrol interior areas. The company advocates using ASRs to lighten the workload on overnight security guards.
The K1 towers now in use in Downtown Los Angeles are positioned at the front of two buildings, which aligns with Knightscope’s recommendations. According to the blog post, the K1 Hemisphere towers record and stream eye-level HD video from 360 degrees 24/7. The technology can also recognize the faces of unwanted visitors and alert security teams that the person in question is on the property. People Detection helps eliminate threats like unnecessary liabilities and workplace violence.
The buyer of the Knightscope technology employs thousands of people across the country and is one of the largest and most established real estate developers in North America. The company has constructed over 15,000 homes, owns and manages more than 11,000 rental apartments, and built over 18 million square feet of office, retail, and industrial space. The company also currently has 28 million square feet of space in various stages of development, representing several opportunities for expansion and the installation of more Knightscope ASRs.
Besides commercial real estate, Knightscope security systems are active in airports, casinos, hospitals, hotels, schools, and public parks. Law enforcement has embraced Knightscope technology and uses its autonomous security robots as crime-fighting partners. ASRs aid in monitoring government offices and buildings, patrolling interiors, and providing security footage. ASRs can also help businesses like hospitals comply with security regulations.
While Knightscope’s smaller ASR models, like the K5 and K3, are designed with self-driving technology to patrol areas, the K1 towers installed in Los Angeles are stationary machines. The K1 towers weigh 150 pounds and are 69 inches in height, 28.8 inches in width, and 11.2 inches in length. Knightscope states these machines strongly affect crime rates in their monitored areas. Results include a 46% drop in crime reports, a 27% increase in arrests, and a 68% reduction in citations. The towers’ capabilities work to prevent incidents, but their physical presence is also designed to deter criminals. The intimidating-looking machines marked as security fend off people with bad intentions just by appearing imposing.
