Embracing a more automated future for India, Kerala has now launched India’s first ever humanoid cop, becoming the first ever police department in the country to have a robot for police work.
The humanoid robot cop, also known as KP-Bot, was inaugurated by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The robot was inducted by CM Vijayan with an honorary salute, and it responded back with a salute. It has been appointed to the rank of Sub Inspector.
KP-Bot has been deployed at the front office of the Kerala police Headquarters. Visitors will be greeted by the Robocop and it will even direct you where you want to go.
A report in the Financial Express says that the KP bot has been assigned major duties such as meeting and greeting officers and visitors through facial recognition, and also to guide visitors to the appropriate areas within the office. The robocop will be required to give detailed and accurate information to the visitors on the procedures and the services in the office verbally which will be accompanied by information on the screen. Sub Inspector KP-Bot will also keep track of visitors in order to set up appointments and also to issue visitors’ ID. The Robot will also be responsible for setting up case files on complaint or petition by the visitor.
Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Manoj Abraham, who is the nodal officer of Kerala Police Cyberdome said that KP-Bot is powered by AI sensors that gathers information of its surroundings, and can seamlessly work alongside human beings. For the sake of women empowerment and gender equality, KP-Bot is reportedly considered female.
At the Cocoon Cyber Conference in 2018, it was announced that robots would be inducted into the police force. Work on this project immediately began by the state police cyberdome, and Kochi-based startup Asimov.
In future, the government plans to add more features to the robot such as metal and IED detectors, gas sensors, thermal imaging and facial gesture recognition among others. This will be done to address the safety and security concerns of its fellow officers and the workplace.
