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A robot of today can do many things, but not everything. Robots are becoming more sophisticated by the day and are learning faster than we think. They are becoming smarter, which is why many industries are now investing in robotics. Robots of today are leaps and bounds more sophisticated than what they were a decade ago, more so due to rapid software technology advancements. Today’s robots can perform things and pull off stunts that were hard to imagine once.
Artificial Intelligence is making robots faster and more intelligent. Commercial robots feature design and abilities to perform specific tasks, which is why they are taking over human jobs. For some, the thought of robots taking over human jobs is scary. Despite this, you do not have to worry about losing your job to a robot in the near future, primarily if you serve as a security guard.
Here is why robot security remains a dream for now and may remain so for many more years:
Lack of reliability
It is an undeniable fact that robots today depict features that are more advanced and technologies. However, despite such advancements, these robots lack reliability and ruggedness. Robots are purpose-built to perform one or more functions and perform each function; they rely on sensors, laser and cameras. The performance of these tools under various environmental conditions remains a point of concern at best. A shadow or obstruction in vision can make the robot lose its position. Reliability of sensors remains another challenge. A laser sensor malfunction can handicap the robot and renders it useless. In short, there is plenty of uncertainty surrounding the performance of robots.
Maintenance and operational costs
Compare the cost of hiring a human security guard with that of a robot, and you will come across some exciting revelations. A human security guard can do the job by himself, but a robot cannot. In fact, you will need to hire an operator for that purpose. Hiring a robot operator might cost you more per hour than hiring a human security guard, but this can vary. Additionally, the robot might cost you more for maintenance and repairs, which may not be the case, is with humans. Availability of parts is another primary concern for those looking to invest in Robot security.
Spare parts of your robot model may or may not be available after a few years, which is a significant cause of worry for robot owners. Obsolescence is another concern with robots, just as it is with other machines. Like it or not, your robot will go obsolete after a few years, which is something you should worry about. Human security guards have no such concerns, and you can use them for many years without worrying about them becoming obsolete or out of date.
Robot Security Vulnerabilities
Perhaps the most concerning reason for not using a robot for premises is that it remains vulnerable to threats. Robots are programmable, and software remains susceptible to hackers. Besides, it can be altered and manipulated in any way the hackers want. Likewise, robots are also equally vulnerable to hacking and can be exploited. A hacking attempt can leave a robot vulnerable to more such endeavors.
Moreover, software limitations and vulnerabilities are common among robots, which causes them to fall to hackers. Human security guards pose no such threat to your premises or employees. Although they need the training to stay updated on modern security concepts from time to time, they can function just as well without it, which is not the case with robots.
Inability to make decisions
Despite the ongoing advances in modern AI tech, robots are far from perfect. One of the reasons they cannot be trusted as security guards is that they lack the ability to make critical decisions according to their situation. Due to a lack of technology, a robot cannot distinguish between threats and commoners. You can program a robot to detect metal objects or make decisions by analyzing the situation at the time. Their inability to make critical decisions can put people’s life in danger since they lack the technology to assess body languages, which is essential to making a decision based on reason. Human security guards are trained to make decisions and analyze the situation at hand. They do not hesitate to decide without putting people’s lives in jeopardy.
Perhaps someday, robots become excellent security guards and take over humans’ duties, but that day may not come anytime soon. It may take robots decades to become equally proficient security guards as humans. For now, robot security mostly remains a dream.
