Sharp Security Robot Profile

By: IPVM Team, Published on Oct 17, 2016

Security robots are getting a lot of attention.

Unfortunately, this is often for wrong reasons, most spectacularly highlighted by the Knightscope robot running into a toddler. It certainly does not help that the Knightscope machine is designed to look like a movie prop.

That could change. Sharp is getting into the security business with an off-road capable robot, set to rollout in early 2017. Sharp's robot looks more like a lunar explorer than a movie prop, and is built to cover terrain that would render the Knightscope unit immobile.

Representatives from Sharp provided details on their new security robot for this report, and we examine its details and tradeoffs inside.

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Comments (28)

Undisclosed #1

10/17/16 04:35pm

The Sharp would pummel the Knightscope in a dark alley.

Bob Kusche

10/17/16 04:51pm

I attended the training last week and came away extremely impressed. The amount of time and effort put into this product is very apparent. One item of note is that Sharp is encouraging other vendors to build/modify on their solution, unlike Knightscope which uses, and insists on using, Avigilon cameras (need I say more?)

Now to maybe garner some FUNNY votes, I agree with the first poster! Let's start a campaign to put Sharp against Knightscope in a BattleBots arena at ISC West! If you've never seen BattleBots, check it out here:

http://www.battlebots.com/

Jack Schenk

In reply to Bob Kusche | 10/21/16 03:24pm

[Poster is from Knightscope]

Bob,

We don't use Avigilon cameras... not that there is anything wrong with them. Get the facts straight.

Jack Schenk

Bob Kusche

In reply to Jack Schenk | 10/21/16 03:30pm

Ok, thanks for the correction -- it is what I was told at a past ISC West.

Can you please update me on which VMS solutions can be integrated with Knightscope robots? Is there a currrnt or planned API/SDK?

Jack Schenk

In reply to Bob Kusche | 10/21/16 03:47pm

Bob,

It is in our roadmap to integrate with select VMS platforms... we currently have an API so if a customer wanted to support the integration to their VMS they could make that happen.

Jack

Undisclosed #1

In reply to Jack Schenk | 10/21/16 04:00pm

Who is Bob Kusche ?!?

Armando Perez

IPVMU Certified | In reply to Undisclosed #1 | 10/21/16 04:02pm

You forgot the WTF...

Undisclosed #1

In reply to Armando Perez | 10/21/16 04:05pm

its implied

Jack Schenk

In reply to Armando Perez | 10/21/16 04:16pm

Funny... at least you you don't respond anonymously.

Armando Perez

IPVMU Certified | In reply to Jack Schenk | 10/21/16 06:45pm

we all need a cheap laugh every once in awhile. (sorry Bob if it was kind of, sort of, maybe, a little bit round about aimed in your direction)

Bob Kusche

In reply to Jack Schenk | 10/21/16 05:30pm

That is really good to hear, thank you.

And for the troll out there, I work with NMS Security and have been an ardent Milestone integrator since 2007.

Undisclosed Manufacturer #2

10/17/16 05:15pm

I have been pursued by one of these robotics companies recently to come in and head their sales division. I have to honestly say... what they're doing is a hell of a lot more exciting than anything I've witnessed in CCTV for at least the last ten years. There's a lot more here than meets the eye with this emerging technology... there's a lot more in the background that's relevant and applicable to all of us reading this thread than we might think.

I, for one, am extremely charged up about it, and if the culture aligns with my mind's eye, I will definitely be making the move.

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed Manufacturer #2 | 10/17/16 05:25pm

what they're doing is a hell of a lot more exciting than anything I've witnessed in CCTV for at least the last ten years.

It's the most exciting thing since video analytics.

But will it have the same result as video analytics? That is what I struggle with. Are these robots going to be mature enough to deliver practical business value especially compared to their high costs? I don't know but what I have seen so far has not been great. Thoughts?

Undisclosed Manufacturer #2

In reply to John Honovich | 10/17/16 05:31pm

The part that excites me is the integration with third parties, specifically. Analytics which integrate with your existing CCTV system, analyze a scene and dispatch to the location of the activity.

I otherwise kinda regard these robots as something a lot like a PTZ, never with eyes where you need them because the damn thing is looking in the other direction, or is on the wrong side of the building.

Should probably work on my sales pitch if I personally have that gripe already...

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed Manufacturer #2 | 10/17/16 05:35pm

dispatch to the location of the activity.

I otherwise kinda regard these robots as something a lot like a PTZ

I agree with that. And for me, that type of capability should be priced out at some modest increment of PTZs, not the annual price of a security guard or a Mercedes.

Undisclosed Manufacturer #2

In reply to John Honovich | 10/17/16 05:55pm

We're about to see a few more of these robots come out (Undisclosed Manufacturer #2 is a Manufacturer), so I expect to see competition, *cough* China *cough* *cough* bring these to more of a Chevy Cruze price point in close time.

Undisclosed Manufacturer #3

In reply to Undisclosed Manufacturer #2 | 10/18/16 02:09am

a lot more here than meets the eye

Is that a reference to Transformers? Those are the best security robots ever!

Undisclosed Manufacturer #2

In reply to Undisclosed Manufacturer #3 | 10/18/16 04:01am

Good eye, good eye- I didn't think anyone was going to get it!

Undisclosed #1

10/17/16 05:37pm

Far preferable in a gated neighborhood patrol than George Zimmerman.

John Bazyk

Command Corporation | IPVMU Certified | 10/17/16 08:04pm

I think this is the beginning. Augmented reality is going to be apart of the future of surveillance and security. I have been watching DJI for a few years now and own one of their drones and am getting a second one. It's incredible what it can do while sitting on my back deck. With the new AR glasses soon to come out (some already out). We will start to see more real world applications. Until battery life is improved, we're kind of at a standstill for wireless technology.

What I see here seems bulky and slow, and not much of a deterrent. If I want to get around it, I just wait until it goes around the corner. It's probably easier to bypass this than a security guard walking around. Putting a drone in the sky seems more realistic.

DJI has come a long ways in the last four years. I am excited to see what comes out in the years to come.AR Glasses Commercial

Undisclosed #1

10/18/16 02:18am

Why can't this "robot" charge itself?

Even a Roomba charges itself.

IMHO, This seems like a remote vehicle first and formost and an autonomous guard secondly.

Brian Karas

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed #1 | 10/18/16 11:25am

From my conversations with people at Sharp, they wanted maximum run time, ideally for the robot to be able to pull an 8 hour "shift", like a human guard, and be able to do 3 shifts a day for critical environments.

The UGV uses Lithium Ion batteries, which in most cases take ~2-3 hours to be optimally charged (switching from a period of constant-current charging to constant voltage), especially if they are deeply discharged. The batteries also need to cool below ~113F if they are hot before they can be charged.

A charging station would therefore have the robot down for several hours at a time, whereas a battery pack swap can be done much quicker (according to Sharp, but this seems logical).

The UGV is intended to be used at sites where there are also human guards or security personnel present, so while the battery swap is more clumsy than a charging station, it is also quicker.

Undisclosed #1

In reply to Brian Karas | 10/18/16 02:15pm

A charging station would therefore have the robot down for several hours at a time, whereas a battery pack swap can be done much quicker (according to Sharp, but this seems logical).

If it were an either/or choice then I would agree. But having a charging station doesn't mean you can't swap batteries too.

Brian Karas

IPVM | 10/18/16 07:33pm

It looks like A+ is already doing promos for their UGV offering. They are quite bullish, a quote from the link:

The potential just in Connecticut alone is $20 million to $40 million in sales, just to start.

Undisclosed #1

10/18/16 07:47pm

Be honest everybody, doesn't it look a little smaller in "real-life" than you thought it was?

Armando Perez

IPVMU Certified | In reply to Undisclosed #1 | 10/21/16 02:48pm

definitely. in the main image above my initial reaction was wow, why does it have such a large dome? It doesnt, it looks like I had the wrong size reference. This thing is surprisingly small. Kinda like the Fiat 500 of security robots.

Undisclosed Integrator #4

10/31/16 06:22am

Cool concept, not at all practical. Not worth the money. You can't replace a real person as a security guard with a robot (not yet). This would be a fun toy, or added layer if it was cost effective. 20 million in sales? Hah! I can't imagine any security director buying into this.

Brian Karas

IPVM | 06/13/17 07:39pm

UPDATE:

The Sharp robots are being deployed to patrol marijuana grow facilities.

If they could alter it a bit to look like an ice cream truck it would be the perfect fit.

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