Security specialists Cobalt Robotics has launched a new stylish indoor security robot to blend into modern office environments.
Designed by world renowned industrial designer Yves Béhar the fabric covered robots – a world first – look more like upmarket pieces of audio equipment.
Cobalt builds indoor robots for security, designed to work alongside human guards to provide better security than people can do alone.
The robots help keep offices safe by patrolling the premises, looking for intruders or anything that's out of the ordinary – while also providing a friendly face to office employees.
“Creating the right form for Cobalt is crucial to its success, Béhar told US based RoboHub recently.
“As a service for security and concierge, it becomes part of an office culture, he said.
“This balance between approachability and discretion became a thematic challenge throughout the design process. We decided that the robot should not adopt a humanoid personality. Instead, it should aesthetically align with the furniture and décor of the office environment.”
Used to detect intruders
The Cobalt robot’s semi-cylindrical self-driving mechanism, sensors and cameras are covered by a tensile fabric skirt. This helps maximize the access and usability of the internal technologies, creates airflow to prevent overheating, and conveys a soft and friendly persona.
Cobalt robots are used mainly to detect intruders or any “anomalies” in the workplace.
Its robots patrol the workplace following planned or random paths.
Using powerful sensors and artificial intelligence, they detect and flag security-relevant conditions or anomalies – such as people, doors and windows, suspicious items, items that have moved or changed, and water leaks.
The robot will either autonomously respond, or initiate a video call with a Cobalt pilot for human-level cognition and response.
Cobalt - Indoor Security Robots from Cobalt Robotics on Vimeo.
“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.
Person and company friendly
Providing security and concierge services, our robots regularly interact with and around people and become an integral part of office culture, the company says.
The fabric-covering on the robot conveys “a soft and friendly feeling” while fitting in with your office.
Consistency meets flexibility
“We pair the consistency of machines with the flexibility of humans,” says Cobalt. Robots operate continuously to implement your security policies. Each robot has super-human sensors with perfect recall and an auditable history of where it was and what it saw.
“At the same time, remote human pilots are on call. In an emergency such as a fire or active shooter scenario, the pilots can take control and help employees get to safety. Our robots enhance employee safety: we provide alerts and a well-trained pilot on the screen at a moment’s notice.”
