Robots for School Safety

Quadruped Robots are capable of surveillance and monitoring school halls. In efforts to deter and manage hostile situations, robots are an efficient way to help mitigate school shootings. People are hoping to improve school safety and security with the use of robots.

Robots are increasingly being used in security and surveillance applications. In addition to patrolling schools, they can also help in manufacturing plants, hospitals, residential communities, shopping malls, college campuses, corporate campuses, and parking lots/structures. Security robots provide a cost-saving advantage along with the advanced ai technology they bring to a security program.

Despite the $3 billion that schools put toward security annually, the number of US school massacres continues to increase. There were three between 1940 and 1980, 2 in the 1980s, 5 in the 1990s, 6 in the 2000s, 8 in the 2010s, and already 2 in the 2020s. That is more than 20 in the past 33 years after only five massacres in the prior 50 years. Change must be initiated to stop this pattern of increasing danger in schools. Some common security measures include facial recognition software, automatic door locks, video surveillance, and identification systems. These systems are designed to prevent intruders from entering schools, but they do not take measures to stop the assailants.

This is where Stokes Education’s Robot Security Systems are different. These robot systems are designed to educate and protect students, staff, administrators, and teachers. Stokes Education uses Unitree and Direct Drive robots to capture video footage to be monitored by teachers, school SRO, and law enforcement with on/off control as needed. They also provide a channel for law enforcement and school administrators to communicate remotely with people in the vicinity of the robot. Unitree Quadruped Robots can run up to 10.5 mph at and into intruders and engage intruders using nonlethal force. Direct Drive’s Diablo robot is even faster and is virtually silent. Smoke screens, flash bangs, and similar equipment can be installed on the robots to provide more security measures. Advanced robotics can even disorient an intruder’s senses, causing distractions and creating extended time for safety measures.

Some Benefits Include:

  • Enhance Remote Video Surveillance Capabilities. 
  • Robots can monitor an area and provide a unique capability to investigate an incident and reach areas not covered by cameras, delivering real-time video and two-way audio. This makes it a lot easier to identify a suspect.
  • Support Facility Management. 
  • If a school is in lockdown or has reduced personnel, robots can tour the building, with 360° live video, to inspect the surrounding safety conditions and more.
  • Keep Staff and Students Safe. 
  • Many schools do not have enough security officers, leaving employees to handle security situations. The intercom feature built into many robots, with a live 360° video, allows staff to address a potential security threat from a safe distance.
  • Enhancing Education
  • Other security systems divert money away from educating students to protect them. Stokes Education’s Robotics Security Systems come with a K-12 STEM and programming curriculum that allow the robots to be used to enhance students’ education and protect everyone in the school.

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