India Just Has The First Robot Receptionist Called KP-BOT At A Police Station

For most people, having their issues sorted out at the police station is never a quick or pleasant experience, which probably comes down to the sheer number of forms to fill in and the steps to go through.

KP-BOT will take over the receptionist position

To make the process less intimidating, Thiruvananthapuram's police department has put a robot receptionist into use at their headquarters.

When visitors first enter the building, KP-BOT, the robot in question, takes over the spot of dealing with them like greeting and assisting them with their problems.

The KP-BOT has helped reduce the number of needed staff. Before the arrival of the robot, the front office required 4 employees just to do the tasks the robot is currently doing, said Loknath Behra, Director General of Police.

Basically, what KP-BOT does is to deal with visitors’ ID, arrange appointments, gather needed information, and help them go to the right departments. The robot can recognize the faces of officers working in the precinct. Making needed files of the petitioners and then pointing them to the appropriate officers are also within the ability of KP-BOT.

The robot is the result of the coordination of Kerala Police Cyberdome, the research institute of Kerala Police Department, and Asimov Robotics, a company providing robotics and automation solutions. The KP-BOT will have to undergo a training course that lasts about a month before it can start working at the Thiruvananthapuram's Police Headquarters. Their future plan is to have more robots to maintain law and order in places with heavy traffic.

They are also planning to expand the robot’s ability so that it can detect potential weapon or gas and objects' infrared radiation.

KP-BOT has the appearance of a female officer with an aim to empower women and promote gender equality, said the DGP. He also added that the position is usually occupied by women.