We have (or had? Haven't seen it in a bit) one of those Knightscope things on our block in SF.
It's a giant 400lb thing with a few cameras. It wonders around in a pre defined area, playing pre recorded messages when it thinks things are in its way that shouldn't be.
It seems deliberately designed to be smooth on the outside and shaped such that it would be difficult to grab it and do anything like load it in a truck.
That's it, that's the product.
I dont see how it helps, it was nothing more than a novelty and distraction in our neighborhood.
Honestly, the thing like this that seems to do the most good are those trailer mounted surveillance towers with 25/7 monitored cameras, police lights and megaphone.
I hope it's anchored in some way to the platform so that it cannot be pushed onto the tracks. At 420 pounds that could derail the train and have horrendous consequences.
Just because someone could be identified doesn't necessarily mean that some lunatic (or group thereof) wouldn't attempt it.
I'm vaguely familiar with that station, from what I remember there's a very large mezzanine level that's below the street but still upstairs from the platforms, I imagine that's where it's going to be used.
It's been some years since I've been there so I'm a bit out of touch, so thanks for the info. That's a worry (seems they're more interested in the toy than practical safety).
I'd prefer not to think about the consequences. But I recall hearing a news report when I was a kid where some lunatic placed a horseshoe on a track and derailed a goods train (fortunately no one was hurt). Apparently, this prank was the stupid and unthoughtful escalation of the common but dangerous practice of flattening copper pennies (dangerous to the placer of the penny—not the train).
Now that you've forced me to think about it, if it fell onto the tracks at the point where the train exits the tunnel then the train is still going at considerable speed. If at that point it broke rather than slid (caused, say, by a protruding part getting caught/jammed between a tie and the ground) then the scenario could end up being very nasty.
I am hopeful some of our intrepid youth will in short order disable this thing. Our corrupt and idiotic mayor, a former cop, will no doubt try again. But moves like this cannot stand.
I can't wait headlines about people who somehow pulled the robot upon themselves and died. And now the family want 55 million dollars to ease the pain.
The dystopia looks slick, I was expecting ED-209[1]...
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYsulVXpgYg