Page 245 - Concise Encyclopedia of Robotics

Police Robot
(2-D) system. This term comes from the polar graph for mathematical
functions. The drawings show standard polar coordinate systems.
The independent variable is the angle, in degrees or radians, relative to
a defined zero line. There are two common methods of specifying the
angle. If the zero line runs toward the right (“east”), then the angle is
measured counterclockwise from it.If the zero line runs upward (“north”),
then the angle is measured clockwise from it. The first scheme is common
for mathematical displays and some robotic manipulators. The second
method is used when the angle is a compass bearing or azimuth, as in
navigation systems.
The dependent variable is the radius, or distance from the center of the
graph. The units are usually all the same size in a given coordinate plot
(for example, millimeters). In some cases, a logarithmic radius scale is
used. This is often done when plotting transducer directional patterns.
Compare ARTICULATED GEOMETRY, CARTESIAN COORDINATE GEOMETRY, CYLINDRICAL COORDI-
NATE GEOMETRY, REVOLUTE GEOMETRY, and SPHERICAL COORDINATE GEOMETRY.
POLICE ROBOT
Can you imagine metal-and-silicon police officers, 2 m tall, capable of
lifting whole cars with one arm and, at the same time, shooting 100 bullets
per second from an end effector on the other arm? These types of police
robots have been depicted in fiction. The technology to build such a
machine exists right now.However,when and if robotic police machines are
developed on a large scale in real life, they will probably be less sensational.
Police officers are often exposed to danger. If a remote-controlled
robot could be used for any of the dangerous jobs that cops face, lives
could be saved. This is the rationale for deploying robots in place of
human officers. A robot police officer might work something like a robot
soldier or drone.It could be teleoperated,with a human operator stationed
in a central location,not exposed to risk.A mechanical cop could certainly
be made far stronger than any human being. In addition, a machine has
no fear of death, and can take risks that people might back away from.
Humans can maneuver physically in ways that no machine can match.
A clever crook could probably elude almost any individual robot cop.
Agility will be a key concern if a robot police officer is ever to apprehend
anybody. Sheer force of numbers might overcome this problem. Perhaps
a large swarm of small insect robot cops, strategically deployed, could
track and catch a fleeing suspect.
Sophisticated, autonomous robot police officers might not prove cost-
effective. A human operator must be paid to sit and teleoperate a robot.
The robot itself will cost money to build and maintain, and if necessary,
to repair or replace.People who roboticize a police force will have to weigh

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