A mother in Palo Alto, California is warning others about the potential danger of a shopping centre security robot after her son had a “frightening collision.”
The robot, made by the company Knightscope, acts like a security guard by scanning the premises, and alerting authorities of abnormal noises and sudden environmental changes through sensors.
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Tiffany Teng said the robot, which stands at five feet tall and weighs 300 lbs, ran over her 16-month-old son Harwin Cheng’s right foot last Thursday causing it to swell.
“The robot hit my son’s head and he fell down facing down on the floor and the robot did not stop. And it just kept on moving forward,” Teng told CBS.
“He was crying like crazy and he never cries. He seldom cries.”
Teng said she hopes other families will be cautious around these kinds of robots as their use is increasing in frequency.
The makers of the robot confirmed the incident happened but said the child ran away from his parents and towards the machine.
“Our first thoughts are for the family and we are thankful there were no serious injuries,” said William Santana Li, chairman and chief executive officer of Knightscope.
“Our primary mission is to serve the public’s overall safety, and we take any circumstance that would compromise that mission very seriously.”
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The company said they have reached out to the family on many occasions but the family hasn’t replied.
“The Company is, therefore, publicly extending a formal apology for the freakish accident, and is extending an invitation to the family to meet at Knightscope’s Headquarters in Mountain View to learn more about the technology,” the company’s news release states.
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