The idea of advanced security robots—intelligent machines designed to safeguard life and property, even at the risk of their own destruction—has, in popular culture, long captivated our imagination. Growing up, I was particularly intrigued by Lost in Space, largely due to the compelling relationship between Will Robinson and “Robot” (designation B9). Robot exhibited a mix of protectiveness, loyalty, and mentorship towards young Will, which fostered a unique emotional bond between them. This theme recurs in other iconic robots like Sonny from I, Robot; Baymax from Big Hero 6; the Iron Giant from the eponymous film; and the reprogrammed T-800 in Terminator 2. These fictional characters all share key traits: a protective instinct, loyalty, emotional connectivity with humans, and both sacrificial and heroic tendencies. Are these qualities realistically applicable—or desirable—in security robots currently available or soon to enter the market? Furthermore, how do these qualities align with the tasks we expect these robots to perform? Would robots with artificial intelligence (AI) enabled, human-like behavior be more culturally and socially accepted in the workplace, and would the form factor—humanoid versus an R2D2-style—make any difference? What exactly do we expect from today’s security robots, and what might the future hold for them—and us? Security robots are distinct from the many other purpose-built robots in the workplace today. Robotics design for a security robot needs to factor in unique requirements like environment, intelligent and autonomous navigation in both indoor and outdoor uses, human interaction and communication requirements, sensory and perceptual capabilities, data security and privacy issues, and operational autonomy and decision-making. Moreover, the AI model integrated into a security robot is crucial to its ability to perform the tasks we require with the level of autonomy and accuracy we expect. Today’s robots have very limited human interaction abilities but based on our organization’s Voice of the Customer initiatives, we’ve discovered that many end-users expect a high degree of human interaction, autonomous behavior, and decision-making performance.
Full report : Revolutionizing Security: The Rise and Future of Security Robots.
