Lowe’s is using 400 pound robots to patrol parking lots as part of pilot program

Hardware giant Lowe’s has deployed large autonomous security robots at several locations across the U.S. as part of a pilot program.

Lowe’s has partnered with security technology company Knightscope to deploy K5 robots at stores in Pennsylvania, California, Washington State, North Carolina, and Washington D.C., according to Business Insider.

The K5 robots stand approximately 5 feet tall and weigh around 400 pounds and have a top speed of 3 m.p.h. Lowe’s is testing the use of the robots to patrol parking lots to enhance safety. The robots use multiple microphones, lidar, sonar, and wide-angle cameras to create 360 degree high definition video coverage. Anything out of the ordinary is reported directly from the robot to a Lowe’s security monitoring team.

The pilot program comes as many retailers are reporting an uptick in theft.