Security Robots on Patrol

How a security robot, the first one employed in Arizona, acts as a visual deterrent as well as an information-gathering machine.

SEC1018-robots-Feat-slide1_900px — Fig. 1. Five sensors on the K5 allow it to gather important real-time, on-site data, which is then processed to determine if there is a concern or threat in the area. If so, an appropriate alert notification is sent to the Twin Arrows security team through the Knightscope Security Operations Center (KSOC), the included browser-based user interface. The five sensors include a laser beam light detection sensor on the top (LiDar), sonar sensors like on the back-up bumpers of cars, a GPS sensor that triangulates with satellites for positioning information, an inertia measurement sensor that measures movement and sensors in the wheel covers to keep the robot balanced and track distances.

*Photo courtesy of Joe Gustafson*

SEC1018-robots-slide2_900px — Fig. 2. “Once you program the machine to patrol a route you’re done,” says Joe Gustafson, Director of Security for Twin Arrows Casino in Flagstaff, AZ. “The ADM takes care of the rest. It autonomously patrols, charges itself and reports issues within the parameters that you set. And it is virtually maintenance free from an end user standpoint.”

*Photo courtesy of Joe Gustafson*

SEC1018-robots-slide3_900px — Fig. 3. The Twin Arrows K5 robot gives visual clues as well. Seven lights glow blue if all is well and change to red if a threat is perceived. If there is a concern in the area, an appropriate alert notification is sent to the Twin Arrows security team through the KSOC.

*Photo courtesy of Joe Gustafson*

Joe Gustafson likes to “think out of the box.” So when his team at the Twin Arrows Casino in Flagstaff, AZ, had a lull in staffing and needed solutions to assist security officers with their job duties, Gustafson asked for a security robot.

“The typical ‘fixes’ presented themselves, which is work with what you have,” he says. “But because of my involvement as a board of directors member for the Arizona InfraGard, I started to think about the accessibility of AI or some variant of it for the private sector. Would it be feasible to use something of this nature in a security application? If so, how viable of an option would it be?”

Gustafson, who is Director of Security at the casino, found Knightscope’s Autonomous Data Machines (ADMs) for security applications that offer 360 degree HD cameras, thermal imaging, license plate recognition, two-way intercom communication, people detection and various other capabilities and sensors. He also learned that the ADMs had never been used in a casino environment.

“The model I was looking at (K5) is a large machine that weighs almost 400 pounds, so it offers a physical presence and that alone is a deterrent,” Gustafson says. “Another benefit is that it patrols our property and significantly and effectively increases our security footprint, allowing us to further project our security force and cover more area in less time while collecting more data.”

Before he proceeded, Gustafson says he had to consider any potential negative aspects of using an ADM. “First was the mindset, ‘Robots are taking jobs,’” he says. “From research I’ve done, robots actually create more jobs than they replace because you need more people maintaining them on the backend. I think once you explain it to people and they know what you are using them for, they are much more receptive because it makes sense. In our case, we are using the ADM to perform the mundane, routine, day to day tasks that our regular security officers would do. And the ADM will do it more accurately because it is human nature to get bored or complacent and make mistakes doing the same thing day in and day out.

“The ADM can also gather much more information with its onboard sensors that a human would ever be able to,” he adds. “The K5 is meant to take care of the routine computationally heavy lifting of routine tasks and data gathering and relay that information to our operations center allowing our human staff to make the actual decisions using more accurate data. This will also help free up our security officers to be able to handle more complex situations.”

While Gustafson was quickly sold on the idea of implementing the ADM, he needed to ensure that his General Manager and the Arizona gaming commission understood the benefits, as well. “When I first pitched the idea to my General Manager, he seemed hesitant, and rightfully so. However, he did realize the benefits.”

There are no concerns with the Arizona Department of Gaming, says Gustafson, but he did receive prior approval. He also notes that the Department has a clause in their compact that notes that casino security is allowed to have their own supplemental surveillance equipment, separate from regulatory requirements.

Gustafson is pleased with the K5 and would like to add more security robots to his security team. “Overall, we are decreasing liability by not only increasing the casino’s security footprint and providing additional security, but also by allowing me and my team to gather data for follow up and forensic reviews. An example would be in a use of force scenario,” he says. “Not only would the ADM be able to capture audio, it would also give 360-degree video from the security officer’s level and their point of view rather that an obscure overhead shot of a fixed camera.”

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Diane Ritchey was former Editor, Communications and Content for Security magazine beginning in 2009. She has an experienced background in publishing, public relations, content creation and management, internal and external communications. Within her role at Security, Ritchey organized and executed the annual Security 500 conference, researched and wrote exclusive cover stories, managed social media, and authored the monthly Security Talk column.