11 Investigates: Security robot patrolling Pittsburgh apartment complex

PITTSBURGH — 11 Investigates spotted what looked like something out of the movie Star Wars.

It’s a five-foot-tall object that resembles R2-D2. But this is not a movie, it’s real life, and it’s happening right here in Pittsburgh.

Chief Investigator Rick Earle discovered that it’s a security robot being used to patrol an apartment complex on the North Side. It was invented by a man who studied electrical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University.

Earle first spotted the object in June, but residents say it’s been patrolling the housing complex for some time. He spoke with people who live at the Allegheny Commons East Apartments.

“It’s better than Star Wars,” said resident Steve Brunson, who said he feels safer when the robot with multiple cameras is cruising through the parking lot.

“It has some type of eye in it and it rolls through the complex and just peeps out,” said Mike Scott, who was visiting the apartment complex.

Residents told Earle the security robot has been patrolling here for more than a year.

“I love it, because you know why, it’s less traffic, less problems. It does its job. The money is worth it,” Brunson said.

Earle also spoke with the man who invented the robot, William Li.

“This is the next generation of advanced physical security technology,” Li said.

Li is the president and founder of Knightscope, the company that manufactures the security robot.

Knightscope is based in California’s Silicon Valley, but Li studied electrical engineering at CMU.

He’s originally from New York City, and said the attack on September 11th motivated him to act.

“Someone hit my town on 9/11. I’m still profoundly ticked off about it, so I’m dedicating the rest of my life to better securing our country,” Li said.

Li’s first security robot was deployed a decade ago. Today, nearly 10,000 are in service.

Li won’t discuss costs, but said it comes out to about $10.00 per hour.

The robots come with infrared cameras, thermal imaging, and license plate readers.

“They can read several hundred license plates a minute. They can detect a person. We can run a thermal scan of the environment as kind of a fire watch,” Li said.

The cameras can also be monitored in real time, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and the robots even programmed to talk.

“Hey it’s 2:22 in the morning, I saw a person. You’re trespassing, I’m calling the authorities,” Li said.

Li said the robots do not record audio in states like Pennsylvania, where it’s illegal.

The majority are used to monitor parking lots, garages, parks and warehouses, and Li believes they have had a big impact.

“You want to go steal a car and you see a five-foot-tall, 400-pound machine roaming around. There’s no one remote controlling it. It’s moving fully autonomously. There’s four strobe lights going. It says ‘police’ or ‘security’ and it may greet you like you know, I’m going to go steal a car somewhere else,” Li said.

And with a decline in police officers in Pittsburgh and across the country, Li says the robots could fill a critical void

While a few residents complained the robot is too slow and occasionally blocks traffic, most say they feel much safer with the robot.

Earle: You think it deters crime?

Resident:Yes, yes, but I think they need another one though.

Earle: You like it that much, you would like another one?

Resident: Yes.

Pittsburgh police tell me they are aware of the robot and have never had any issues or concerns with it.

We reached out to the apartment complex but never heard back.

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