SECOM has been actively researching and developing various sensing technologies for the rapid detection of emergencies such as fires and intrusions. Through the development these technologies, we have accumulated a large amount of knowledge in these areas.

 IS Laboratory is also active on cutting edge research for the key technologies of tomorrow for physical and information security. Research thrusts are concentrated into image recognition as well as other new sensing technologies, biometric authentication technologies such as face, voice and fingerprint and robotic technologies.

 Robotic security systems are anticipated to serve as a platform for the realization of a completely new configuration for monitoring as well as promoting new security values, by fusing the technologies that have already been developed, and will be developed at IS Laboratory. In this article, we introduce the concept of robotic security as envisioned by Secom and the key technologies required to develop such a system.

 Recently, interest in next generation robots, also known as service robots, has been rising due to events such as:

(1) Robots competitions held all over the world.

(2) DARPA Grand Challenge and its Japanese version, "Tsukuba Challenge"

(3) Field trials in the special robot district in Japan.

 Moreover, through publications such as "Guidelines for the Safe Operation of Next Generation Robots," the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan is preparing to usher in the era of living with robots, with several. robots for domestic use appearing on the market.

 In this context, Secom has commercialized two types of robots, "My Spoon", a meal-assistance robot to allow physically disabled people to eat on their own, and "SECOM Robot X", an outdoor patrol robot designed as an alternative to patrolmen, in May 2002 and October 2005, respectively. These robots are equipped with the results of many different studies of the Laboratory, and are also being improved continuously.

Fig.1 Robots developed by SECOM (From left, "My Spoon", "SECOM Robot X")

 General advantages of using robots include:

1) Increased precision, power, speed and effectiveness for tasks

2) Increased safety with operating in hazardous areas through teleoperation

3) Operate continuously without rest, even for simple, repetitive tasks

 In the context of security, especially outdoors, the advantages over the most common methods currently used, fixed sensors and surveillance cameras, include:

1) Detect intruders or irregularities more actively than just recording video or images

2) Give chase to intruders and gather more video evidence

3) Act as a deterrent through patrols of an given area

4) Operate in different modes of operation such as large area surveillance, performing different duties such as surveillance or reception depending on schedule and flexibly conform to temporary security requests

5) Increase quality of security through the elimination of blind spots caused by environmental changes or malicious intent

 New innovative solutions become possible by leveraging the combination of mobile robotics and security.

 SECOM Robot X automatically patrols preprogrammed routes registered, in place of human guards. While patrolling, it not only records video, but can also automatically detect intruders, suspicious vehicles, theft and fire. If an emergency is detected, the base station is notified wirelessly. After receiving the notification, the human guards can teleoperate the robot while receiving a realtime video feed. The main functions of the robot are shown in Table 1.

Fig.2 Functions of SECOM Robot X

 The functionality of SECOM Robot X is derived from the integration of image sensing technologies cultivated at the IS Laboratory will various control and other sensing technologies. The key technologies and their role are listed in the Table 2.

Fig.3 Sensors installed in SECOM Robot X

 As shown above, each function consists of a combination of various technologies. Although not discussed in detail, authentication technologies for access control while static guarding is a key technology to integrate in the future.

1. Power Supply

 Robotic platforms provide advantages not only through the wide ranging surveillance capabilities and the ability to peek into blind spots, but also contribute to crime prevention through the overt show of active surveillance. One drawback however, is that a robot cannot continually monitor each location simultaneously.

 One way to overcome this drawback is through frequent patrols, however it is obvious that a robot cannot patrol while recharging its batteries. Emerging technologies such as fuel cells or remote microwave power provision may play key roles in the future.

2. Wireless Technologies

 Similar to the installation of outdoor fixed sensors which require the installation of poles, power,and communication lines, a mobile robot requires the installation of an antenna for wireless communication leading to the problem of installation cost. However infrastructure for high bandwidth communication like WiMAX and 3G have been rapidly maturing and have the potential to contribute to a flexible robot system.

 In this article, we briefly explored what Secom envisions as a robotic service and key technologies leveraged during the development of patrol robots. Although we have not explicitly mentioned it, technology is important but knowledge about service operations play a vital role in making service robots valuable.

 Utilizing robots for security is advantageous due to the mobility inherent in robots. Combining and augmenting the functionality of both fixed sensors and mobile robots is crucial in expanding the field of applications for robots.