A 420-pound, egg-shaped robot was supposed to respond to door alarms at San Antonio International Airport, but a slew of technical difficulties put the wheeled worker out of a job in a matter of weeks.
Airport employees sometimes set off door alarms when they accidentally enter an incorrect badge number to get into employee-only areas. Other employees have to rush over to turn off the alarm and check the worker’s badge.
The Knightscope K5 robot was supposed to roll from its charging station to the screaming alarm, saving employees the trip. A human employee in a remote location would check out the offending worker’s badge through a video link — the robot has a camera on its front panel — and give the OK to continue through a two-way intercom…