Security robots may begin roaming Clovis North campus
CLOVIS, Calif. December 19 2018 Robots that look like droids may soon be roaming the halls and parking lots of Clovis North High School.
The robots are made by Nightscope in the Bay Area.
Clovis North is the only school in the country being asked to test them.
The three robots will serve as additional eyes and ears for the campus security team.
Clovis North is only one step away from becoming the pilot project for Knightscope’s robots on campus.
Clovis Unified area superintendent Darin Tockey is overseeing the proposed project. “They’re just another set of eyes and ears in addition to the security that we provide.”
The Bay Area company will put two six foot tall, 400 pound robots in the school’s parking lots.
A third will roam the halls on the first floor. “They’ll pick up 360 degree video and they’ll also pick up sound in addition to our stationary cameras that are sometime limited to what we can film.”
That’s because the school’s security cameras are on poles or buildings while the robots can roll almost anywhere on campus. “It would basically be a deterrent to any negative behavior by students on campus and anybody else in the community thinking about coming on campus.”
Last school year Knightscope asked students to get involved and submit essays on how the security robots could help in a school setting.
Teacher Clifford Nitschke’s class at Clovis North submitted the winning proposal.
Robotics teams in Clovis Unified also stand to gain from the partnership with Knightscope. “They’re real excited about mentoring some of our students. Being able to have our robotics teams go there. Show them the new technologies, share tools and share knowledge.”
If the pilot project gets the support of Clovis North parents, robots could be roaming the campus in late February. In January, Clovis North will hold a town hall meeting.
School administrators and Nightscope representatives will be there to answer questions about the pilot project.
That’s the final hurdle to get the robots rolling.
Nightscope robots are already being used at Microsoft and at the Golden One Center, home of the Sacramento Kings.
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