A machine and a robot are not the same thing.

A firearm is a machine. We even have so-called "Machine Guns". All firearms require external input to operate, and cannot operate autonomously.

You can affix a firearm to a robot, however the firearm still requires input to operate.

I'll bite - what makes a gun a robot?

It’s a fair point. I suppose the distinction is whether the robot makes the decision to fire on its own.

that is not the issue in question here. SFPD wants to deploy remote-controlled weaponry - an officer would still be .

IMHO it's a pretty fine disinction between a remote-operated gun and a gun that needs to be held by a human hand. (to be clear, i think police should have fewer guns regardless of how the trigger gets pulled)