Even Our Guard Dogs Are Being Replaced by Bots
Getty Images/gorodenkoff
Robot security patrols at large technology facilities are getting help from a new kind of machine: four-legged, battery-powered robots designed to assist human guards. As artificial intelligence data centers expand across large campuses that operate around the clock, operators are beginning to deploy robotic “dogs” from companies such as Boston Dynamics and Ghost Robotics. These machines move along fence lines, scan equipment, and detect potential problems before they can cause servers to shut down.
According to Business Insider, Boston Dynamics has seen a sharp rise in interest from data center operators for its robot known as Spot. Over the past year, facilities have increasingly adopted the machines not only for security but also for other monitoring tasks. The robots, which cost between $175,000 and $300,000, are used to map facilities, track construction progress, and identify issues such as unusual heat levels, leaks, or strange noises inside buildings.
Boston Dynamics says many customers recover the cost of the robots in about 18 months, not including the added value of the operational data the machines collect. Ghost Robotics offers a similar machine called Vision 60, which starts at about $165,000. It is currently being used at a small number of data centers primarily to patrol the perimeter.
The economic argument for these robots often compares their cost with the roughly $150,000 per year it can take to employ a human security guard. Even so, both companies emphasize that the robots are meant to assist human workers rather than replace them. Staff members still monitor the facilities from control rooms and watch live video feeds from the machines as they patrol.
Executives in the robotics industry say they see major growth potential as thousands of existing and planned data centers across the United States look for new ways to manage security and maintenance. In a separate example of how the technology is spreading, a Wired writer recently described what happened after buying a low-cost robotic “attack dog” that sprays liquid from the online marketplace Temu.
About Post Author
