What just happened? Robot security guards are still far from intimidating, but if for some reason you get the urge to give one a beating, be aware that it might film you in the act.

The Hayward Police Department is looking for an attacker who pushed over a Knightscope K5 robot, which weighs almost 400 Ibs.

According to the LA Times, the robot had been monitoring a parking garage on Watkins Street because of previous vandalism in the area. The slow-moving machine is equipped with license plate recognition technology and is capable of video and audio recording.

Knightscope released a video of the incident, which shows a young man running toward the K5 before the robot topples over to the ground. The company says that repairing the robot will come at a “hefty” cost, but the K5 unit is expected to make a full and speedy recovery, suffering little to no long-term damage.

“…please help get the word out! K5 deserves justice … and dignity. Despite what some may think, these robots are just trying to help humans!” wrote Knightscope.

It seems some members of the public just don’t like the egg-shaped K5. Back in 2017, a man was arrested for punching one to the ground, though he was allegedly intoxicated at the time.

The machines themselves have run into problems in the past. One of them knocked down a 16-month-old boy and ran over his foot in 2016, and another dove face-first into a fountain a couple of years ago—possibly to escape a beating.

 

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