Interview conducted by Anna Larrouy
A few days after the presentation of the THALAMUS robot in Buenos Aires, during an event organized by Securion at the MALBA museum, Renato Cudicio, President of Glocal Robotics, reflects on the stakes of this meeting, the strategic vision promoted by IH Tech Labs, and the prospects for establishing Glocal Robotics in South America. It is an opportunity to discover an ambitious technological ecosystem that combines terrestrial, naval, and aerial robotics in the service of private security.
Anna Larrouy: You had the opportunity to present the THALAMUS in Buenos Aires last week during an event organized by the company Securion. What made this event stand out?
Renato Cudicio : The first thing that struck me was the incredible organization put in place for this event by Gustavo Silva, president of IH Tech Labs, with the help of Kevin Blum and Federico Patigori. Gustavo is a former producer and concert organizer for show-business stars, who has switched to security technologies. His experience in that field was perfectly used to create a very Hollywood-style show.
But beyond the dazzling image, what impressed me the most was the strategic vision. Among all the European security companies I’ve met and most American companies, Securion is ahead of the pack, with a very impressive understanding of the market’s future. Securion places technology at the heart of its strategy, based on a comprehensive three-dimensional security approach: air – land – sea.
Gustavo and Kevin carried out extensive research and field scouting to identify the best technology in each domain. They came to see us in Angoulême to participate in working sessions and attend demonstrations. They did the same with autonomous boats, which led them to choose the amazing machines from the American company SeaSats and the autonomous drones from the Swiss company Sunflower Labs.
I must say I’m quite proud that THALAMUS was chosen to represent one of the three segments, alongside these two companies that stand out for their innovation and the quality of their production.
Another strength of Securion is their ability to bring back in real-time data from these three autonomous vehicles to one of their state-of-the-art monitoring centers, located from the north to the south of Argentina. This is made possible by a strategic will to integrate and internalize technological expertise. I had the opportunity to meet and work with their engineers, who proved to be as talented as they are friendly. This idea of starting by building a team of technologists and roboticists before commercializing the products obviously appealed to me as a manufacturer because I know I can count on solid partners to deploy and support THALAMUS robots in the field.
What struck you about the products presented?
I was fascinated by the design quality of the selected security products. Certainly, the three flagship products, covering the maritime, aerial, and terrestrial domains with THALAMUS, all have a unique design that makes them instantly recognizable.
But this attention to the aesthetic quality also applies to the equipment they manufacture internally. For example, the urban panel designed to secure both building entrances and public roads, which they entirely developed at IH Tech Labs, is remarkably well designed.
Why is this important, you might ask? I am convinced that the acceptability of a product increases with its well-thought-out design and high usability. Everyone appreciates being surrounded by beautiful objects, so I see no reason why, just because it is security technology, the appearance of this equipment should not be carefully crafted.
This attention to design reflects the importance given to overall quality and the expected user satisfaction level. Customer experience has become the flagship expression of all new business models.
All these products also have a strong AI component, whether it’s the robot, the urban panels they developed, the exoskeletons they are gradually introducing, the body cameras from the American company Plix, or the smart cameras from the Californian company Verdaka.
In all cases, IH Tech Labs’ goal is to capitalize on the ultra-fast advances in AI to make these tools more efficient and enable Securion agents to be even more effective in their work.
What is the role of autonomous robots like THALAMUS in South America?
Let’s not hide it: the crime rate in South America is generally quite high, significantly more so than in Europe or Canada. However, there are very encouraging signs of improvement in many countries, including Argentina, where the policies implemented have a real effect. But the perception, widespread among the population, remains that the crime rate is very high.
Unlike Europe, where major risks concentrate on sensitive sites and are mainly linked to terrorism, in South America they are related to threats to people and property caused by organized crime and cartels.
The market for THALAMUS is therefore very real, even if relatively low wages constitute significant competition for robotization overall. However, in South America, as everywhere in the world, security companies struggle to recruit quality agents, especially since the risks are sometimes even higher than in Europe.
Given the gigantic size of a country like Argentina (11 times bigger than the United Kingdom) and the development of mining sectors located in remote regions, the prospect of using autonomous robots becomes an interesting alternative to increase the efficiency of patrols and the agents present 24/7 in monitoring centers.
Of course, a country like Argentina will not use the European version of THALAMUS, but a tropicalized version, capable of withstanding the particularly arid and humid climates of the country.
What role will Glocal Robotics play in this new market?
The Canadian headquarters of Glocal Robotics will lead this major expansion project. This is both for logical time zone reasons, shared with the South American continent, but also because Montreal is one of the world capitals of artificial intelligence, and Glocal Robotics can leverage senior robotic resources there to support these projects.
Glocal Robotics will therefore work with local partners, such as Securion, to ensure rapid market penetration by relying on highly structured networks.