Cobalt Robotics has launched a security robot that can help guard offices and other commercial premises, such as museums, warehouses, schools and hospitals. Thanks to its fabric-coated design, it fits in well with the office furniture, but that doesn’t mean it lacks security capabilities.
It features a whole host of sensors, including day to night 360-degree cameras, thermal cameras, depth cameras, LIDAR and more to ensure it can sense movement in any situation. When it detects movement, Cobalt’s security robot will use technology such as machine learning algorithms to work out if that movement poses a risk, flagging any threats to humans so they can take action.
“As robotics and AI touch more areas of our daily lives, the role of the designer is to make these technologies accessible, augment our abilities and create our best possible future,” the robot’s designer Yves Behar explained to Robohub.
“Creating the right form for Cobalt is crucial to its success,” he added. “As a service for security and concierge, it becomes part of an office culture. This balance between approachability and discretion became a thematic challenge throughout the design process.”
The company explained its security robot is perfect for places that can’t afford to employ a 24-hour security guard, but need to check in to a work premises throughout the day, with the ability to view what’s going on. If an employee thinks there’s some suspicious activity occurring, they can approach the robot and get the help they need, without it attracting the attention of the suspicious person too.
“A fleet of Cobalt robots is comparable to an extremely competent guard with superhuman capabilities and omnipresent situational awareness across an entire organization,” said Cobalt CEO and Co-Founder Travis Deyle.
