A tech startup has created robots that can replace security services

Swiss startup Ascento has introduced new robots that can replace human security guards. According to the developers, the shortage of security guards is a problem in many industries, and busy workers are forced to take overtime, which affects their vigilance and performance.

The Ascento Guard robot moves at human speed, performing simple but important tasks: patrolling the perimeter, looking for holes in fences, conducting thermal scans for intrusions and fires, and controlling lighting and parking. If the robot detects a threat, it notifies the person in charge through a special app integrated with video surveillance systems and reliably protected by encryption.

The robot has legs and wheels that allow it to move on different surfaces while saving battery power. The legs can be folded, so stairs and pits are not an obstacle either. The robots are expected to become reliable partners for security personnel in patrolling large facilities. At the same time, Ascento’s code of ethics prohibits physical contact between the machine and a person.

The company has also joined the Boston Dynamics initiative for the peaceful use of robotics and promised not to use its developments as weapons. According to Ascento CEO Alessandro Morra, their main competitors are the American Cobalt and Knightscope. However, Cobalt is focused on internal security, while Knightscope is focused on crowded places. Ascento’s difference is its focus on industrial zones and improved accessibility.

Morra also noted that this project is just the beginning. For example, scientists plan to teach robots to work indoors and in the air. «Robots are a way to solve the most acute problem — the lack of personnel. But the real advantage we have is analyzing the collected data using AI to record the time and place of incidents or to monitor cars that are constantly parked in the wrong place,» Alessandro Morra summarized.

In July, NASA researchers announced plans to send the humanoid robot Valkyrie with astronauts to the Moon and Mars. First, the robot will undergo tests that will show its ability to remotely maintain autonomous and offshore power plants.