A combination of high wages and shortage of staff is driving the demand for security robots around the world. Companies that make these machines, on their part, are making sure they incorporate as much advanced technology as possible into them.
A combination of high wages and shortage of staff is driving the demand for security robots around the world. Companies that make these machines, on their part, are making sure they incorporate as much advanced technology as possible into them.
One such robot is SAM from the Netherlands-based Robot Security Systems. SAM is a mobile robot that can observe, detect and report. It has two independent driving wheels and motors and is fully packed with the latest sensors, electronics and software.
Among other things it also has a free sensor bay which can accommodate applicable sensors that can be added to detect toxins, carbon oxides, radiation, smoke etc. In the company’s own words, “SAM sniffs, detects and alerts”.
Speaking to asmag.com, Edwin Lustig, Director of Robot Security Systems explained what makes SAM stand out from competition.
“There are a few things that we do differently,” Lustig said. “First of all, if you want to detect humans, most robots have to stand still. This is because they use standard technology. Of course, there are lots of cameras in this world that can recognize humans, but they tend to stand still and while the robot is moving you cannot use that technology. We created an algorithm that went with our thermal camera to recognize people while moving. This makes a huge difference because you don’t have to stop every time to look around.”
“The other thing is we built the robot to react on alerts,” Lustig continued “Actually we made a connection to the intruder system of the building and the robot would know every single point of every sensor. For example, if you open the front door and the alarm goes off, the alarm system will notify the robot which will reach there.”
The third differentiator is that the robot is quite close to the ground, and this enables it to travel at faster speeds than its competition.
The company has customers in three main verticals at present, distribution centers, data centers and malls. Lustig said some customers have even used it in offices, although this was not their primary focus.
Factors driving demand
Rising wages is one of the main factors that is driving demand for the robot, according to Lustig. But more importantly, it is the reliability factor that’s the key.
“The normal thing I would say is wages, people are getting more expensive,” Lustig said. “But I think the main reason is reliability. From the beginning of the world, one of the first needs of humans is security. That’s the reason we created our own security by watching at night, laying down by the fire. But really, we are not fit to be good guards. We tend to lose track of things, we tend to rather look at Facebook than do our job.”
The company is seeing demand from various parts of the world, but Lustig said the Middle East is their main market at the moment.