机器人保安有助于降低犯罪率

Robot Security Could Help Cut Crime 机器人保安有助于降低犯罪率

Shopping centers, stadiums and universities may soon have a new tool to help fight crime. A California company called Knightscope says its robots can predict and prevent crime. Knightscope says the goal is to reduce crime by half in areas the robots guard. 

William Santana Li is the chief executive officer of Knightscope. He says these robot security guards will change the world.

"Our planet has seven billion people on it. It's going to quickly get to nine billion people. The law enforcement apparatus¹ and security apparatus that we have globally is just not going to scale."

Mr. Li says his company's Autonomous² Data Machines can become the eyes and ears of law enforcement.

"You want it to be machines plus humans. Let the machines do the monotonous³ computational heavy and sometimes dangerous work and let the humans do the strategic decision-making work so it's always working in tandem⁴."

The machines are one and a half meters tall and weigh 136 kilograms. They do not carry weapons but thave day and night time video cameras able to turn 360 degrees. Mr. Li says they can also sense chemical and biological weapons. 

Eugene Volokh is a law professor at the University of California. He says the machines have to be used in the right way. He says some people may become concerned about their privacy, especially in connection with the video recordings⁵. Some people may worry that such recordings will appear on the Internet. Mr. Volokh says it will be interesting to see how state laws deal with this kind of surveillance video.

William Santana Li says there is a long waiting list for the robots in the U.S. At least 25 other countries are also intered in these robotic security guards.

Words in this Story

stadium - n. a very large usually roofless building that has a large open area surrounded by many rows of seats and that is used for sports events, concerts, etc.

apparatus - n. the organization or system used for doing or operating something 

scale - n. the size or level of something especially in comparison to something else

strategic - adj. useful or important in achieving a plan or strategy

in tandem - n. two people, groups or things working or happening together or at the same time

surveillance - n. the act of carefully watching someone or something especially in order to prevent or detect a crime

1 apparatus   

n.装置，器械；器具，设备

参考例句：

• The school's audio apparatus includes films and records.学校的视听设备包括放映机和录音机。
• They had a very refined apparatus.他们有一套非常精良的设备。

2 autonomous   

adj.自治的；独立的

参考例句：

• They proudly declared themselves part of a new autonomous province.他们自豪地宣布成为新自治省的一部分。
• This is a matter that comes within the jurisdiction of the autonomous region.这件事是属于自治区权限以内的事务。

3 monotonous   

adj.单调的，一成不变的，使人厌倦的

参考例句：

• She thought life in the small town was monotonous.她觉得小镇上的生活单调而乏味。
• His articles are fixed in form and monotonous in content.他的文章千篇一律，一个调调儿。

4 tandem   

n.同时发生；配合；adv.一个跟着一个地；纵排地；adj.（两匹马）前后纵列的

参考例句：

• Malcolm's contract will run in tandem with his existing one.马尔科姆的合同将与他手头的合同同时生效。
• He is working in tandem with officials of the Serious Fraud Office.他正配合欺诈重案办公室的官员工作。

5 recordings   

n.记录( recording的名词复数 )；录音；录像；唱片

参考例句：

• a boxed set of original recordings 一套盒装原声录音带
• old jazz recordings reissued on CD 以激光唱片重新发行的老爵士乐