New York City moved a step closer Friday to employing an army of “RoboCops” to patrol its subways alongside flesh and blood police officers.
Mayor Eric Adams and the New York Police Department kicked off a pilot program on Sept. 22 in which the Knightscope K5 autonomous security robot — originally unveiled earlier this year — will patrol the mezzanine of the Times Square 42 Street subway station. The large-wheeled device, equipped with cameras on all sides, will be tested in the central transit hub over the next two months between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m., according to City Hall and the NYPD.
The robot will begin its deployment in the station tonight, according to City Hall. It will map the station for the first two weeks of the pilot and then will begin patrols.