In its spring issue, French security magazine PSM published a survey of the autonomous surveillance robots available in France.
Only 5 robots are available on the market and, as always, the THALAMUS comes out on top. To date, it still has no equivalent in terms of performance and, although this is not so important, aesthetics 😉
What are the criteria that make an autonomous security robot efficient?
Firstly, it must have a high degree of autonomy, both in terms of its power supply and in terms of making the right decisions.
Indeed, even if the technological performances are obvious, for the implementation of such an autonomous robot to be an operation that makes economic sense, the distances to be covered by the machine autonomously must be sufficiently great for the alternative solution – whether human or via fixed cameras or radar – to be no less costly. Being able to cover 150 km or make 12 to 14-hour rounds is therefore one of the essential criteria for achieving a positive return on investment. With this in mind, the THALAMUS robot has been fitted with an Amplius200 battery, the most powerful in the industry for this type of machine. This battery, custom-built in our Angoulême workshops, is used to power the motors, projectors and infrared lights, the various sensors and, of course, the multiple on-board computers that give the machine its high computing power.
This calculation capacity is the second essential point of an autonomous robot, which must be extremely precise (to the order of 2 to 3 centimetres) in respecting the routes that have been programmed for the robot, but also in analyzing its environment in real time to detect people or objects that should not be where they are, when they are there. And, depending on the business rules that have been defined by the site’s security director, the robot must be able to react instantly without having to depend on the quality of LTE communications or the Internet available in the region – often remote and poorly served by 4G networks – where the robot is evolving.
Secondly, security and performance in data transmission are essential. THALAMUS is therefore equipped with a communications technology that uses public networks, private LTE/4G bubbles, or an ultra-secure Mesh network.
Finally, because the pathways on which the robots work are not freeways, the robot’s ability to cross them is fundamental. We recently followed a machine after torrential rain in the south of France, and the THALAMUS’ four-wheel independent drive and extremely robust pendular structure were put to good use.
The PSM title also highlights the fact that the machine is made in France. Admittedly, this is important, as it ensures total traceability of all components, and proximity to the design team, thus increasing the level of security of a machine required to work in sensitive or even highly sensitive areas. But it is primarily for the reasons identified above that the THALAMUS robot stands out and demonstrates its perfect match with the needs of the security industry.