Security robot debuts at Twin Arrows casino

Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort, east of Flagstaff on the Navajo Nation, is launching a security system that goes beyond guard dogs and surveillance cameras.

Today, the casino will introduce a security robot. It is believed to be the first casino in Arizona and the second casino in the United States to introduce a robot security guard, according to casino officials.

Joe Gustafson, the director of security at Twin Arrows, said the robot would supplement existing security personnel as it roams the property.

The security robot will be a lookout on the property’s parking lot, providing 24/7 surveillance for Twin Arrows’ security team. Twin Arrows employees hoped to choose a name for the robot by the end of the week.

At almost 400 pounds and standing more than 5 feet tall, the machine is a product of Knightscope, a technology-security firm based in California.

According to the company’s website, the robot can travel 3 mph and boasts the ability to read 300 license plates in one minute, scanning for plates of wanted or stolen vehicles.

In addition, it can play recorded video and audio messages and serve as a twoway intercom. According to Gustafson, guests who have seen it already love taking selfies with the robot.

The robot is not seen as a way to take away jobs from security guards, Gustafson said.

He said having autonomous security robots to watch the area aids with security practices that a human officer can’t always do. Collecting data and doing so accurately is a difficult and monotonous task for most, he added.

With the robot’s help, human guards will have more efficient access to the data needed to make decisions, he said.

“I think this will be a big help and we’re going to get so much information from this,” he said. “Everyone seems very receptive and excited.”

Security robots and Knightscope both have made headlines for their autonomous technology.

In December, the San Francisco SPCA, an animal rescue and shelter, was accused of using a Knightscope security robot to patrol its facility and deter the surrounding homeless population.

The non-profit received backlash from the public and eventually pulled the robot from its grounds.

News of the incident was widely circulated and Knightscope released a statement saying that the security robot’s intended use was to never clear out the homeless population but rather to “serve and protect the SPCA.”

The development and usage of robotic, autonomous and artificial intelligence technology has grown throughout the years, something evident in the rise of autonomous vehicles and further development of AI.

Stacy Stephens, a Knightscope vice president, said the company’s expansion to Arizona will expose more people to the benefits of such technology.