Robots are here and it’s not a gimmick. As in many industries, the introduction of machine learning, computer vision and robotics is changing the paradigm of security and facility teams. Robots are more than a compilation of sensors and computation. They offer both innovation and adaptability and they are (quite literally) computers that can reach out and touch the world. Due to this, they are being designed to move around human spaces safely and in a friendly manner, in a way that avoids being intimidating or scary, and thus easing cultural acceptance. As the scale and use of security robots increases, costs will decrease and capabilities will improve.
Thanks to new integrations, robots have evolved considerably in a few short years. Robots can detect open doors, unauthorized people, water leaks, and investigate suspicious events or sounds. These features offer a host of benefits: they easily integrate with existing security measures such as access control; they enable security or facilities executives to easily add remote coverage; and they can augment existing manned guard operations. With continuing advances in technology and integrations with other legacy systems, it’s predicted that within the next 5 to 10 years, security robots will be a common tool in the security professional’s tool belt.