Home Security Robots Are Already In Place to Keep You Safe

Our houses are already being cleaned by robots (and dogs are getting free rides), but the market for home security robots is rapidly growing. There are security bots available for purchase right now, as well as some fascinating ones in development for future release.

The capacity of robots to rove around your home and inspect every nook is a security gap that they can address in this security configuration. A security robot is, at the very least, a security camera that can move about rather than merely looking around from a fixed location.

With the addition of cutting-edge machine vision and sensor technologies, you may have a robot that can identify all types of danger or alert you if it notices something odd. When it comes to security systems, mobility and autonomy are potent tools, and the proper technology exist to make them realistic.

Commercial Security Robots

With their sensors and moving components, robots are still fairly costly. Even something as “basic” as a robot vacuum cleaner may be rather costly. The technology is becoming less expensive with time, but as is customary, the most complex solutions are initially seen in the business space.

The Knightscope K5 is an outdoor security robot that looks like a combination of R2-D2, a Dalek, and the AI turrets from Portal. It’s designed to patrol large spaces such as a college campus, mall, or parking lot. The robot offers 360-degree video streaming back to a control center where humans can keep an eye on everything, but it can also automatically detect trouble using its sensor systems and intelligence. The K5 has thermal sensors, a laser range finder, radar, air quality sensor, and can even pick up on suspicious radio signals.

Even the famous Spot robot from Boston Dynamics has found work as a security and inspection robot. Hyundai is planning to implement Spot in their factories in South Korea. The robot will check for safety hazards, such as humans being too close to hot objects, and note things that are out of place, such as doors that are open when they should be closed

Drones with Autonomous Security

Ground-based security robots are fantastic, but if you truly want to defend a big region, you need give your robot wings. In this example, propellers, but the concept is the same.

A security drone or a group of drones may continuously monitor an area, looking for anything out of the ordinary. Without any human intervention, the drones fly a patrol course and then land to recharge.

There are a few such systems meant for commercial security, but one of the coolest ones we’ve seen so far is the Beehive. Created by Sunflower Labs, the Beehive is a dock that opens up to release a drone, which flies for up to 20 minutes, patrolling its designated area. Then it returns to the Beehive and recharges within 22 minutes, taking the time to process its footage for analysis.

The drone can also react to something reported by another sensor or camera system and fly out to the location in minutes.

You Can Buy Home Security Robots Right Now

Commercial security robots clearly perform admirably, but what about domestic security robots? Commercial security robots may cost thousands of dollars to rent or buy, so having one in your home may seem out of reach.

One of the most promising home security robots is the Amazon Astro. This is a little like having Alexa on wheels. At the time of writing, you have to request an invite for the “Day 1 Edition” of the robot. When Astro goes on sale for everyone it should cost just a little under $1500. That’s surprisingly reasonable for a robot that does everything Alexa can, detect unfamiliar people when you are away, and understand something’s wrong when glass breaks or an alarm goes off.

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