The Bum Bot 2000 is a remote controlled security "robot" made by Rufus Terrill, owner of O'Terrill's bar in downtown Atlanta. The robot is pieced together with things found around the home but the menacing looking little guy has become an effective means of dispersing the homeless, drug dealers, and prostitutes who frequently bother the bars patrons. The robot is equipped with An infrared camera, a 2-million-candlepower spotlight, a homemade cannon, which squirts jets of cold water at up to 200 pounds per square inch and a microphone and speakers. Terrill warns the unwanted loiterers that they had better move along or they'll get wet. The video is relayed back to his bar where his patrons get a first hand view of the whole thing on the big screen. Perhaps Fox will pick up the feed, "bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna do... tonight on Robo Cops..." This is a pretty proactive way of cleaning up the neighborhood, where nobody apparently gets hurt. Then again, the unwanted street element just moves on to another block... better to leave this kind of thing to the police? Terrill doesn't seem to think that's an alternative as he's busy building Bum Bot 3000 with an air canon capable of launching nets, oh my!
LA Times article here.
