Knightscope K5: the patrol robot that hit a toddler and fell into a fountain

K5 is an autonomous security robot that patrols malls and car parks. It became widely known for hitting a toddler and falling into a fountain, and its maker has kept losing money since going public.

A patrol robot that walks the beat

K5 is Knightscope’s autonomous security robot. Its bullet-shaped body, about 1.6 m tall, moves slowly around malls, car parks and office campuses, recording its surroundings with 360° video and thermal cameras. It is sold as a substitute for guards and billed by the hour; Robots Guide lists $7–12 per hour.

Hitting a toddler, falling into a fountain

On 7 July 2016 a K5 collided with a 16-month-old at Stanford Shopping Center. The child got a scrape and a bruise. The mother said “the robot did not stop and it kept moving forward,” while the company said the child ran backwards into the robot. CEO William Santana Li said: “Our first thoughts are for the family and we are thankful there were no serious injuries.” In July 2017 a K5 fell into a fountain at a Washington, DC complex in its first week, and the photos spread widely.

A robot beside homeless encampments

In late 2017 the San Francisco SPCA placed one of the company’s robots on the pavement around its building, near homeless encampments. The robot was vandalised, including with barbecue sauce, and the city threatened a $1,000-a-day fine for using the pavement without a permit. The SPCA removed it. TechCrunch called the model a K9; Dezeen called it a K5 nicknamed “K9”.

Patrols continue at a loss

Knightscope listed on Nasdaq in 2022. In FY2025 it reported revenue of $11.3M and a net loss of $33.8M, and its annual report stated substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern. It had 434 clients in Q2 2026, but the results release did not mention K5 by name. For a robot that walks in public, how it meets passers-by is as much a design problem as its security function.

Are the people a patrol robot protects the same as the people it walks past?

What we haven’t confirmed