SecurityBot
Latest
Gepetto robot fires paintballs, demands respect
We've seen paintball guns destined for robot mounting, but darkback2 reckoned it was entirely more wicked to actually construct his own paintballing overlord from scratch. Apparently, Gepetto wasn't born to a be a killer (nor a lover, for that matter), but the idea of remotely controlling a security guard outside your domicile really gets our gears turning. Head on past the break to catch a couple of videos of this creature in action -- oh, and Gepetto, we hear there's a street down in Atlanta that could use someone like you.[Via Technabob]
Homegrown security bot heckles vagrants, longs to be a real cop
Rufus Terrill's stocky handmade robot is more than your average drinking buddy -- in fact, the four-foot tall, 300-pound robotic security guard makes it his job to discourage vandals and vagabonds from marring the streets of Atlanta. The inventor is an engineer-turned-bar owner who got tired of drifters and thieves hanging around his business undeterred. Rather than calling in the professionals, he constructed a remote controlled robot that can flash a spotlight, blast out water and resist even the toughest of 40oz. cans that inevitably come its way. Best of all, he can even make the creature talk, and apparently, its array of scare tactics has been fairly effective thus far. Talk about protecting and serving.[Via MetaFilter]
Korean researchers show off "Securo" security robot
It looks like the international fraternity of security robots could soon be about to welcome a new member, as a team of researchers from the Korea Institute of Science and Technology recently announced that its "Securo" bot has passed a test that had it navigating a one kilometer long course by all by itself. That was apparently done with the aid of its built-in GPS and a laser image scanner, which allowed it to motor along at a speed of 5.4 km/h while avoiding obstacles and staying within an error range of 10 cm. That, the researchers say, could also make it suitable for delivering military supplies or performing surveillance, although there's no indication just yet as to when it might actually see service.
ORFO robot put on chaperon duty at Korean school
In a bit of a step down after serving as a security guard at last year's World Cup, the German-designed ORFO robot is now being put on what amounts to chaperon duty at a middle school in South Korea as part of a trial project, which could eventually see the robots keeping an eye on students across the country. As at the World Cup, the robot packs a camera and microphone to monitor its surroundings, and can either be manually controlled or programmed to follow a specific route using its built-in GPS. Unlike some other security bots, however, ORFO isn't able to directly intervene in problematic situations itself, with it only able to issue a warning that a human security guard is on the way. [Via The Register]
Reborg-Q to keep Japanese mall shoppers safe this December
By the middle of December, expect to spot a new type of robo-cop at the AquaCity shopping mall in the Odaiba neighborhood of Tokyo. That's what Sohgo Security Services told a crowd on Monday when it debuted the Reborg-Q, its new security bot, which has four video cameras and will alert its human masters when it detects the the presence of unauthorized persons, water leaks, or fire. But don't think that this is just a cold stack of metal, as the Reborg-Q has a chest-mounted touch-screen that can display information about missing children, the time, and weather, just like a real police officer or security guard. Each bot will cost its human security outfit ¥380,000 ($3,200), and Sohgo's already contracted to deploy 10 robots around Japan next year. Although it's programmed to protect and serve, we're pretty sure that when partnered with the webslinging cop, Land Walker, iRobot and the Intelligent Surveillance and Guard Robot, that fearsome fivesome might possibly assemble Voltron, or at very least become the Justice League of bot servants.[Via Pink Tentacle]
