Knightscope announces prototype of crime prevention robot SUNNYVALE, Calif., Dec. 5 (UPI) -- An autonomous robot that uses predictive analytics and collaborative social engagement to predict and prevent crime is being developed by Knightscope Inc. The robotics company said its K5 Beta-level prototype is designed to collect data through its sensor array payload, which is then processed through a predictive analytics engine. The engine combines the machine data with existing raw business, government and crowd-sourced social data sets, and assigns an alert level for notifying authorities of a security concern. When an alert is pushed, the K5 will turn on all of its sensors to allow the entire community to review the information transparently and contribute additional relevant, real-time information, it said. "Population growth and constrained government budgets render today's methods of fighting crime unscalable," said Stacy Dean Stephens, vice president marketing and sales, Knightscope. The Knightscope K5 utilizes technology to push alerts to public safety professionals and the community providing a profound new layer of security and more efficient deployment of resources, saving both money and lives. Knightscope said it will begin initial test deployments next year.