Microsoft Employs Robots as Security Guards

Several 1-1/2-meter - tall, 136-kilogram robots have recently started patrolling Microsoft’s compound in California's Silicon Valley as security guards.

Autonomous movable platforms equipped with lasers, cameras and various sensors are already being used for operations such as looking for explosive devices or earthquake victims. But the U.S. software giant has taken robotic surveillance a step further with its fleet of bullet-shaped automatons.

The K5s, as they're called, move around outdoor areas, garages and parking lots, scanning situations with their ...