ORLANDO, Fla.—Robots that can supplement and in some cases reduce the need for security guards and provide enhanced surveillance and detection for critical infrastructures were demonstrated this month at the annual ASIS International security conference, with two firms showing off their products.
Gamma 2 Robotics, which debuted an offering a year ago at the show, demonstrated its three-wheeled RAMSEE security robot, which the company is currently marketing for indoor use at warehouses, manufacturing facilities and utilities, and for overnight security. The company is working with potential users on pilots of its technology and from there hopes to begin production of the system.
In the near future Gamma 2 Robotics expects to begin development of a more rugged ground robot that would operate outdoors and traverse more difficult terrain to be able to perform perimeter security operations and other missions in support of critical infrastructure, company officials told sister publication HSR at ASIS.
Knightscope, Inc. is developing two robotics vehicles, what it calls autonomous data machines, the K3 and K5 for indoor and outdoor security applications. The company demonstrated its larger K5 model for the first time at ASIS.
In addition to indoor patrolling of facilities, the K3 and K5 can be used for helping to protect critical infrastructures outside for perimeter monitoring, Stacy Stephens, vice president of Sales and Marketing for Knightscope, told HSR.
The robotic vehicles being developed and marketed by Gamma 2 and Knightscope are equipped with various sensors and communications technologies for surveillance and remote monitoring.
Knightscopes’ robots use sensors, lasers and software to autonomously roam a geo-fenced area and navigate around people and objects. The company says that its robots generate enough data so that over time they “will be able to ‘see, feel, hear and smell,’ enabling a unique approach to sensor fusion and analytics.”
Knightscope also offers a web applications so that live sensor data feeds from the K3 and K5 can be live streamed into a security operations center. The company’s security operations center also uses anomaly detection to provide real-time alerts to users.
Gamma 2’s RAMSEE can perform autonomous and manual patrolling in day and dark operations. The system features four cameras for real-time video, including a forward-looking infrared, a 180-degreee forward-facing camera, a 180-degree rear-facing camera, and a head-mounted pan-tilt-zoom camera. The head-mounted camera can be used for two-way conversations between users and a person encountered during a patrol.
Like the K3 and K5, RAMSEE also can trigger alarms.
Both companies say their robots can be used to reduce costs for security personnel, increase efficiency, and provide consistent security operations.