It looks a bit like a little lawnmower, but instead of tournament handles, a single black shaft with a tablet-sized display attached rises from the system.
This robot is n’t wildly talkative like the gold-clad C-3PO from” Star Wars”, but it does have the ability to speak. Although this straightforward prototype called CrossBot does n’t sing or play guitar like Robot from” Lost in Space,” its human creator claims that it does have powerful tools, including the ability to protect children in crosswalks and the ability to reduce a shortage of Bay Area crossing guards.
” It has a 360-degree perspective of the surroundings”, said father Hovannes Kulhandjian, an associate professor in electrical and computer engineering at Fresno State. Because this is a very significant system, you have a very small chance of making mistakes because you are dealing with children.
Kulhandjian, who even works with the Mineta Transportation Institute in San Jose, is working on a patent for his CrossBot.
It’s equipped with sensors, including Lidar, a microphone, sensor, digital camera features, a listener system and advanced techniques. In a video presentation, CrossBot squats at the pavement, finally rolls out into the crossing when traffic is obvious.
With its monitor light red, the machine flies into the crossing. The camera turns alternative when a passing car comes to a stop, telling children waiting at the sidewalk that it’s safe to cross. A graphically impaired person is also informed that it’s safe to cross by the machine.
Kulhandjian said he came up with the idea for a mechanical crossing guard while taking his two young girls to Fresno’s class and witnessing teachers stepping in to serve as crossing troops while preparing for school.
Kulhandjian claimed that he has confidence in his robot to assist all children, including his own, and that it has been tested on city streets with an accuracy of more than 90 % for identifying vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians.
Not all parents are, however, convinced of the concept.
In an email, Lafayette’s parent Kelly Lathrop wrote,” I would be livid if a robot replaced our crossing guards.” Crossing guards are known for having a good time in the morning and afternoon and keep an eye out for them in general. I would n’t trust a robot to not malfunction or not get hacked. We need real eyes on these major and minor intersections”.
Angela Roberts, the mother of two young daughters attending Laurelwood Elementary School in Santa Clara, said she too would be concerned about the robot’s dependability, but she’s also noticed a lot of turnover with school crossing guards over the past three years.
Over the last few years, school districts in San Jose, Oakland, Los Altos, San Francisco and Pleasant Hill have all reported a shortage of crossing guards. According to reports, many crossing guards were forced to leave their jobs as a result of the pandemic, and some of them never did.
It appears like there is a different staffed crossing guard on average every few months, if not every few weeks. And there are times when there is no crossing guard, according to Roberts. ” From my perspective, the difficulty of hiring and retaining crossing guards has been ongoing because of their hours and pay. And while the students and their families have always been kind and thankful for the crossing guards who have been present, the need for robotic crossing guards may be a good one.
While accidents, including pedestrian-related car crashes, are the second-leading cause of death for children under 14, according to the U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people on foot of all ages face danger on the street.
The Governors Highway Safety Association, which tracks pedestrian deaths in the United States, found that more than 7, 500 pedestrians were killed by drivers in 2022, the latest year that data was available. According to the report, that was the highest number since 1981.
For a variety of reasons, robots are used today in a variety of ways. They transport things in storage facilities, load and unload trucks, transport parts to production lines, even deliver packages and make coffee. To handle luggage, clean facilities, and assist with security inspections, robots have been deployed to inspect railroads and airports.
In fact, according to the Robotics Industry Size &, Share Analysis Report by Mordor Intelligence, the global robotics market size is projected to reach$ 95.93 billion by 2029.
Kulhandjian asserted that his robot is not intended to eliminate human jobs, but a Bay Area crossing guard shortage that has been present for years suggests this may not be an issue. Kulhandjian said he may add more components to the robot, such as a large red stop sign, but that he thinks the device could last ten years and cost a school district between$ 15, 000 and$ 17, 000 to purchase.
CrossBot is meant to complement and enhance human efforts rather than replace them, according to Kulhandjian. There may not be enough human crossing guards in many places, particularly in areas with few traffic lights or when staffing is low. CrossBot can help fill these gaps by offering additional safety measures in high-demand locations and at times of need.
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