If you have yet to see a robot patrolling a parking lot or moving along the sidewalk, don’t feel left out. Security, surveillance, hospitality, and delivery robots aren’t a common sight, but it won’t be long before they are. Robots are already on the job providing extra service and security in a growing variety and number of locations, according to the MIT Technology Review.
Silicon Valley startup Knightscope, Inc. has two mobile surveillance and security robots, called the K3 and K5. The company refers to them as Autonomous Data Machines, or ADMs, because as the robots make their rounds, they can either follow prescribed paths or just wander within a determined area. While on the move, the robots continuously collect and transmit more than 90 terabytes of data per year.
Knightscope maintains a security center to monitor and receive alerts and status reports from the robots and, over time, a growing database of information collected by sensors will help the robots differentiate between normal activity and security issues. The robots are physically imposing, especially the K5 model, which is 5 feet tall, 3 feet wide, and tips the scale at 300 pounds.
Savioke is another Silicon Valley company in the robotics business. Savioke’s Relay, also called the Botlr, is designed for service use in hotels. The primary Botlr application is to make deliveries to guests. The Botlr starts off at a designated charging station. When hotel staff get a call for convenience or snack items, for example, they enter a code to open the Botlr’s top compartment, enter the room number, and the robot travels on its own to deliver the items to the specified room. The Botlr can also deliver small packages. According to Savioke, Botlrs are currently in service in eight hotels.
