Stores in the U.S. have a big problem with theft. And it doesn't help that merchants are also struggling to pay for security guards as labor costs rise. But William Santana Li has a solution right out of science fiction: Robot Guards.

“It's an exciting time to be developing brand new cutting edge technologies and taking all the crazy stuff that Hollywood had been streaming out and actually putting it in the real world,” Li, the CEO of Knightscope, which makes the security robots, told Yahoo Finance. (Video above)

By the numbers, it looks like a great opportunity for Li. and his Silicon Alley-based firm.

Wages for security guards and patrol serviceshave increased 20% in the past three years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.Meanwhile, complaints of retail theft soared during the pandemic, as Yahoo Finance previously reported. A 2022 survey by the National Retail Federation shows that organized retail theft (when crime rings facilitate the thievery) soared by 26.5% in 2021.

To solve both problems—theft and labor costs—Knightscope has produced the The K5 ASR, a 5 foot tall, roughly 400 pound, autonomous robot that patrols an area for crime. Knightscope offers annual subscriptions for the devices at a price of $0.75 to $7 per hour, according to the company.

Li said the robots operate “anywhere you might see an officer indoors or outdoors" and that their clients include commercial real estate, corporate campuses, law enforcement agencies, casinos, schools, parking structures and hospitals among other locations. Recently, home retailer Lowe's (LOW) began using Knightscope robots in Philadelphia, per the Philadelphia Inquirer. Li also said that PG&E (PCG) and ABM (AMB) are clients.

“These are intended to not only deter negative behavior, but just physically being there, you can stop a lot of nonsense from happening, but to give officers and guards really smart eyes, ears, and their voice on the ground in multiple locations at the same time,” said Li.