The memes and online jokes are flying about after a security robot, looking very much like a droid from “Star Wars,” decided to take a dip outside its Washington, DC office on Monday. The Knightscope K5 didn’t survive the experience. Of course everyone had their phone out to capture images of the unfortunate robot.

The incident happened in Georgetown at the Washington Harbor retail and office complex. Many users on social media speculated the robot had committed suicide, posting images of the robotic crime-fighter laying on its side in the shallow water of the fountain, while people were scratching their heads, trying to work out how to save the heroic droid.

Twitter fun erupts over drowning Knightscope K5

Bilal Farooqui may have started the viral fun after posting a tweet to say his DC office building had gotten itself a security robot and that it drowned itself. He went on to add they were promised flying cars, but instead got a suicidal robot.

Bushra Farooqui, possibly a relative, got into the spirit by mentioning Isaac Asimov’s famous three laws of robotics, saying maybe the security robot was simply following those.

Halting the 'Robopocalypse'

Peter W.

Singer posted on Twitter to announce the best defense had been found against the coming “Robopocalypse.”

User Sparkle Ops had nothing but sympathy for the tragic demise of the security robot, saying it is a stressful job and that we’ve all been there, with a cute photo showing the robot's butt.

Greg Pinelo got some great shots as the security robot was removed from the water, saying it had been a "fun day."

As reported by the Washington Post, one of the office workers in the building said the four-foot-tall Knightscope K5 had only started work at the building complex recently.

The trusty security officer had apparently taken a tumble down a few steps before landing in the fountain.

'Isolated event' with Knightscope K5

The robot was produced by the Silicon Valley start-up Knightscope Inc., who said on Monday that the incident was an “isolated event,” while promising to replace the new robot at no additional charge.

However, this isn’t the first incident involving the security robots, which reportedly come equipped with high-def video capture, facial recognition systems, and infrared sensors. According to a report by the BBC, a K5 ran over a 16-month-old toddler last year in a shopping mall.

Another incident earlier in the year saw a Californian man arrested after he attacked one of the Knightscope robots.

He later told Knightscope he was drunk when he did it and merely wanted to “test” the robot.

Rather ironically, the company launched a new video ad recently which shows a K5 on duty in New York City in the rain. Rain maybe OK for the little guys, but swimming apparently is not.
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