G4S powers up robotic security

It's not exactly RoboCop. But it is a robot security guard - and it could be patrolling office floors within just 10 years, according to G4S, the world's biggest security company.

These automated watchmen, which have already been trialled, are the latest examples of the growing trend for companies to use robots alongside humans - in the same was that carmakers are giving drivers ever more autonomous driving systems.

G4S, which guards everything from the Baghdad airport in Iraq to oil pipelines in Nigeria, says the advantage of robot security guards is that they can analyse screens and data continually, whereas humans tend to lose focus. Robots are also cheaper, and can work without breaks in hazardous environments.

"We see robots and technology playing an increasing role alongside humans," says Dave Ella, head of technology at G4S. "In an office block, you'll often have one guard on the desk at night. The robot would be able to wander the building and spot unusual things that a guard might normally not see. People can't concentrate on cameras for very long but a robot can and it can learn what's normal and abnormal."

He cites research showing that people monitoring security cameras miss 95 per cent of activity after 22 minutes.

Other tasks that security robots can carry out include checking up on lone workers, and carrying out staff identity checks.

G4S has been exploring robotics as part of a £7.2m project funded by the European Union, which runs for four years to 2017. This project, called Strands, is being led by six universities - including Birmingham, Leeds, Lincoln in the UK - and a hospital operator in Vienna, which is also interested in applying robotic technology to care homes for the elderly.

As part of the project, G4S trialled "Bob", the Strand's first security robot, at its technology hub in Tewkesbury, which exports 600 different products such as alarms, card readers and door controllers to 80 countries. More than 60 per cent of sales go to the US.

Technology has become a key focus for Ashley Almanza, chief executive of G4S, in his attempts to turn the company round after a difficult two years that began with its failure to provide enough security guards for the London Olympics in 2012.

Some the company's other promising developments include high-resolution cameras to identify people in poor light, using thermal video analysis. One football stadium in Britain is using the technology to spot unruly behaviour from a distance, to prevent fights breaking out.

G4S is also hoping the technology may make it possible for prisons to scrap their continuous floodlighting - improving the night time conditions for inmates and local residents - without compromising on security.

Anthony Cohn, professor of automated reasoning at the University of Leeds, says robotic security guards - fitted with video cameras and other sensors that enable them to learn and interpret what they see - could be deployed in the near future.

"Given the advances we've seen in other areas of robotic cars, it should be possible to have robotic security guards within the decade," he estimates. "The key is to get the robot to understand enough about its environment to know what is unusual. It needs to be able to spot important things, but you don't want a red light going off at any sign of movement."

G4S's first robotic security guard cost about £25,000. But large-scale production will reduce the price and make them considerably cheaper to employ than human workers.

Despite this, Mr Ella insists robots will be used as an additional security measure, rather than replacements for staff. He also suggests they will need a bit longer to learn their trade. "I thought we'd be able to pitch up and run with robots," says Mr Ella. "But the more I've found out; the further there is to go."

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