Robotics - Expert commentary

Global transportation networks are becoming increasingly interconnected, with digital systems playing a crucial role in ensuring the smooth operation of ports and supply chains. However, this reliance on technology can also create vulnerabilities, as demonstrated by the recent ransomware attack on Nagoya Port. As Japan's busiest shipping hub, the port's operations were brought to a standstill for two days, highlighting the potential for significant disruption to national economies and supply cha...

There’s a new security paradigm emerging across malls, server farms, smart office buildings, and warehouses, and its advantage over the status quo are so broad they are impossible to ignore. Instead of a lecture, let’s start with a short narrative scenario to illustrate my point. Darryl's work Darryl works as a security guard at the Eastwood Mall. Like any typical evening, tonight’s shift begins at 9:30 PM, as the stores close and the crowds thin. His first task: Ensure that...

Although video camera technology has been around since the early 1900s, it was not until the 1980s that video started to gain traction for security and surveillance applications. The pictures generated by these initial black and white tube cameras were grainy at best, with early colour cameras providing a wonderful new source of visual data for better identification accuracy. But by today’s standards, these cameras produced images that were about as advanced as crayons and coloring books....

The COVID-19 pandemic is only accelerating the expansion of Automation, Robotics, Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), and changing how people live their daily lives. This expansion leads the way with technologies that are developed to solve problems, improve operations, streamline processes and assist people, to focus on learning new skills, creativity, and imagination. Transformation of the physical security industry One of the latest industries to be permanently transform...

With the start of the 2020s, many security industry experts are reflecting on the emerging technologies over the past decade and looking forward to what is in store in the future. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a buzzword that has infiltrated everyday nomenclature throughout the past decade. Every industry from healthcare, to banking, to security has implemented some form of AI that is touted as the hidden key to maximising productivity and/or security. However, AI technology is still in its in...

Being in the physical security industry for almost two decades has been an exciting journey, with significant changes that have impacted the world of security. Companies today must be proactive when it comes to securing their facility and are lucky to have so many choices when it comes to security technology. From the beginning, the ISC West show was always at the forefront of new technology and brought together the very best technology and industry professionals in the “City of Lights&rdq...

The physical security industry is moving fast. Evolving risks, new technologies and business changes all converged and had a profound impact on the industry in 2019. Looking back at our top articles of the year – as measured by those that received the most “clicks” at our website – provides a decent summary of how the industry evolved this year. Timely and important issues in the security marketplace dominated our list of most-clicked-upon articles in 2019. In the world o...

In my coverage of China Tariffs impacting the security industry over four recent articles, products on the tariff schedules routinely integrated into security solutions included burglar and fire alarm control and transmission panels, video surveillance lenses, HDTV cameras used for broadcast use cases and fiber optic media converters. The general ‘callout’ of ADP (Automatic Data Processing) devices and peripherals technically includes servers, workstations and microcomputers, all o...

If you’ve been paying attention over the last twelve months, you will have noticed that deep learning techniques and artificial intelligence (AI) are making waves in the physical security market, with manufacturers eagerly adopting these buzzwords at the industry's biggest trade shows. With all the hype, security professionals are curious to know what these terms really mean, and how these technologies can boost real-world security system performance. The growing number of appli...

The year 2017 saw some of the worst natural disasters in North America, with Hurricanes Harvey and Irma wreaking havoc on Houston, Texas, and the Caribbean with force of which we haven’t seen before. While many people chose to evacuate these areas, many were left to deal with the devastation and first responders had the difficult job of assessing the damage, rescuing trapped victims and delivering food and supplies. AI-enabled drones and robotics to assess damage In addition, more than 1...

  The past year has proved to be a year full of many changes both within our industry and for Robotic Assistance Devices (RAD). While we have experienced increased adoption of artificial intelligence-based solutions, the industry has been challenged with an ever-evolving technology landscape. Protecting enterprise organisations from both cyber and physical security threats will be an ongoing challenge the industry must grapple with. Greater adoption of robotic solutions To...

The overall economy and climate always has a bearing on growth from a macro standpoint and certainly the security market is impacted as well. US economic growth has been healthy at 3% through the first half of 2017. Combining that with jobs growth and we have a marketplace that is ripe for growth and expansion. Continued focus on cybersecurity One major trend that expanded in 2017 would be the continued focus and concerns on cybersecurity. There is stronger demand from customers and company ex...

The year 2017 has been a banner one for physical security with the advent of increasingly sophisticated technology to manage threats. As we approach 2018, the field widens with regard to solutions that will expand the capability of security teams seeking ways to shore up their risk exposure and expand situational intelligence. Here’s a recap of milestones and areas we see as important in the new year. Technology integration Technology integration played an even greater role in the market...

Rapid changes in the physical security market this year have largely overshadowed one arena where change has slowed down in 2017 – mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Although there were no “mega-mergers” as in years past (such as Axis-Canon and Johnson Controls-Tyco, M&A activity still made headlines last year on SourceSecurity.com. In 2017, we wrote about M&A news involving companies such as HID Global, Eagle Eye Networks, ADT, and Honeywell.   ...

The security industry remains interested in capturing actionable data from video analytics and this year we saw increasing interest from non-security industries. While still a relatively young industry for our market—think of where Google was with collecting metadata 10 years ago—video security works with similar algorithms for capturing various scenarios. The data this provides is becoming more valuable not only for security purposes, but also for business operations, such as deter...

(Image credit: Antonio Scorza / Shutterstock.com) The era of the “killer robot” hasn’t arrived, exactly, but it may not be far off. Police and the military have been using these machines for decades now to disarm bombs and provide reconnaissance in areas where it would be risky to send officers or soldiers. When Dallas Police equipped a robot with an explosive device and sent it in to take out a sniper who had killed five officers, it raised eyebrows and conjured images of a...