![]() "There's such high turnover in security guards," LeBlanc said. ![]() In smaller offices that required only a single guard, robots could take over all security tasks, from managing visitors to escorting employees to their cars late at night. In large workplaces, robots were able to more efficiently patrol multiple floors and respond faster to alarms. Using their knowledge of past security incidents, the robots can determine whether a situation needs to be escalated - for example, if the robot spots a broken window versus a faulty alarm.Īccording to Mike LeBlanc, Cobalt's president and chief operating officer, the company's value proposition became clearer during the pandemic, since the robots could replace unwieldy security teams that were no longer necessary in empty offices. The robots integrate into a company's security network, allowing them to respond automatically to triggered alarms. With this knowledge, the cofounders realized that robots could fulfill the observing and reporting duties of security guards at lower costs.Ĭobalt's robots are fitted with more than 60 sensors, including thermal cameras, temperature and humidity sensors, and badge readers. The security teams told Deyle and Schluntz that because of insurance concerns, human guards weren't allowed to make physical contact with intruders, either. They decided to interview a lot of people in a variety of roles and asked them: "If you had a magic wand to fix any problem in your job, what would you fix?"Īfter interviewing multiple security teams, they learned that these teams wished they had robots to complete the rote tasks of human guards.Īt first, Deyle and Schluntz were surprised, as they questioned how robots would be able to stop an intruder. The two had quit their jobs and decided they wanted to start a company together but didn't know what to focus on. Travis Deyle and Erik Schluntz, former Google and SpaceX employees, respectively, founded the startup in 2016. Cobalt's human security analysts can also communicate with office workers through a screen on the robot and assess the more complicated situations the robots encounter. They patrol offices and report any observed anomalies. ![]() While not quite as menacing, the robotics startup Cobalt makes 5-foot-1 robots meant to replace human security guards. It often indicates a user profile.įor some, the phrase "robotic security guard" conjures up images of dystopian all-seeing machines or the omnipresent "Big Brother" from George Orwell's novel "1984." Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders.
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