Cobalt, the Robotic start-up provides security teams with robots that are policing offices and employees. it is therefore a security robot company.
For some, the phrase “robotic security guard” conjures up images of dystopian all-seeing machines or the extensive “Big Brother” from George Orwell’s novel “1984”.
Nonetheless, this new trend in security is a more efficient and cost-effective alternative to having a human being patrol a property. Robotic guards are not just limited to indoor use because they can patrol outside of buildings as well. They can also be used in high-traffic areas, like airports, that require security measures. Human guards are not always the best option in these cases because they can’t monitor many areas at one time. In contrast, robotic guards are able to do so.
Cobalt’s robots are not quite as menacing as some competitors, but they are still good substitutes for human security guards. While Cobalt’s robots are not quite as menacing as some of their competitors, they are still a sufficient substitute for human security guards.
The company guards make checks of the office building and report any irregularities they find. Cobalt’s human security analysts can communicate with office workers through a screen on the robot and assess the more complicated situations the robot encounter.
Travis Deyle and Erik Schluntz, former employees of Google and SpaceX, founded Cobalt in 2016. After quitting their jobs, they decided to start a company together. They were feeling dynamic and ready to take chance to take the world to the advanced technologies. But they were null on what to focus on. The team decided to interview people in a variety of roles and ask them, “If you had a magic wand to fix any problem in your job, what would you fix”? They learned that the teams wished to have a robotic security guard which can fill the gap of the human security guards.
Cobalt’s robots are fitted with more than 60 sensors, including thermal cameras, temperature and humidity sensors, and badge readers. These features allow the robots to react to any situation with their specific alarms. These robots integrate into a company’s security network and allow them to respond automatically to triggered alarms.
According to Cobalt’s president and chief operating officer, Mike LeBlanc, 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. Robots can patrol multiple floors more efficiently and respond faster to alarms, in the large workplace. With smaller offices that only require a single guard, robots could take over all security tasks, from managing visitors to escorting employees to their cars late at night
“There’s such high turnover in security guards,” LeBlanc said. “So, the robots are actually able to fill these posts at a lower cost. People love that they can automate this and get the same thing every time, rather than paying more for someone where they’re going to have varied results.”
Many Cobalt, a security robot company’s customers are finding creative ways to use their robots as robotic security guard.
Some clients have been using Cobalt robots to assist with inventory and other business needs. Many Cobalt customers are finding creative ways to use their robots beyond security, such as assisting with inventory and other business needs. According to Chris Cherry, DoorDash’s head of global safety and robotic security, this security robot had the robots’ temperature sensors check employees for fevers. The readers will figure out whether COVID-19 wellness surveys had been completed or not.
The fintech startup Ally Financial’s senior director of physical security, Bill Davis, said Cobalt robots alerted workers to dangerously high levels of carbon monoxide (CO) after contractors cleaned out an enclosed parking garage with gas-operated power washers. A Cobalt robot can able to discover someone impersonating another employee after a routine badge check.
What about the Employee’s Privacy:
While some security teams have embraced Cobalt’s robots, they say they’ve encountered employee concerns around surveillance and privacy.
“I get that a lot of times. They say, ‘Are you Big Brother?'” Parks said
“Buildings are already filled with cameras everywhere,” LeBlanc said. “People are already being watched all around these places by security, so there’s not actually a difference of having some cameras on a robot.”
Other startups have faced controversy in this space. There have been cases of harassment and discrimination reported by employees that have led to the resignation of founders. The police-robot startup Knightscope found itself in hot water after several publicized incidents, including a robot knocking down a toddler and running over his foot and another ignoring a woman’s cries for help. These incidents led to the company installing cameras, sensors, and other safety measures in their security robots to prevent future risks. ,
Both Mike LeBlanc and the security teams said the key to gaining acceptance from employees was an education about the automated security robots’ purpose.
“There’s Big Brother that’s spying on people, and then there’s Big Brother where you’re walking down a dark alley and there’s a bunch of bad people coming toward you,” Parks said. “That’s what the purpose of the robots is.”
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