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Ohio's Dublin retires 'DubBot' security robot after about 10 months with zero arrests

June 18, 2026 at 16:32 EDT

Robotics
AI Agents

Police in Dublin, Ohio have retired the autonomous security robot "DubBot," built by Knightscope, at the end of a pilot program and returned it to the manufacturer. Over roughly 10 months of operation, it logged zero arrests, zero citations and no contributions to any criminal cases.

Dublin, Ohio · Police Department

"DubBot" Goes Back to the Shop After 10 Months of Doing Nothing

Police ended the pilot for Knightscope's K5 Autonomous Security Robot, returning it to the company. Over roughly 10 months patrolling a parking garage, it made zero arrests, issued zero tickets, and flagged no incidents — failing to meet operational needs.

Arrests made

Tickets issued

Incidents flagged

~10

Months deployed

The Cost of Zero Results

Planned as a two-unit, two-year contract — only one unit ever ran.

FULL CONTRACT

$238,440

2 units · 2 years (planned)

ACTUALLY SPENT

$128,080

before $60,533 refund

NET COST

$67,548

spent on 1 unit

The K5 — a deterrence machine

Unarmed, no arrest capability. Its entire purpose was crime deterrence through "physical presence." Knightscope pitches 24/7 patrol as cheaper than a human guard.

~164 cm · ~190 kg

Height / weight

3 mph (~4.8 km/h)

Top speed

~$11 / hour

vs. $35–85/hr labor

360° HD + LiDAR + thermal

Cameras, sonar, mics, strobes

Not the first failure

NYPD subway trial (2023–24): needed constant human supervision, shut down early
San Antonio airport: reported technical troubles
Dublin: system outages, second unit never deployed

The city's verdict

A neutral assessment: a real-world test ended because it failed to meet operational needs. No additional metrics collected — and no confirmed success story from operators.

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