CES-roaming 'Patrol Robot'... SK Shieldus Emerging as New Growth Engine

Small-sized Autonomous Robot
Equipped with AI Security Camera Draws Attention
Jointly Developed with Startup Newbility

#. At CES 2024, the world's largest electronics and IT exhibition held in Las Vegas, USA, a robot about knee-high to an adult with four wheels roams the exhibition hall. At first glance, it seemed like a robot carrying items in its cargo compartment, but it is equipped with AI CCTV. This is a patrol robot jointly developed by security company SK Shielders and autonomous driving robot startup Newbility. Traditional patrol robots were bulky due to multiple sensors. This robot received high praise from industry insiders worldwide for its idea of combining a small-sized autonomous driving robot with a security camera that detects abnormal situations.

Patrol robot at CES 2024 (Photo by Newbility)

The autonomous driving patrol robot has emerged as a new growth engine for SK Shielders. The patrol robot business, which has been actively promoted since last year, is an area that pioneers new markets by integrating advanced technology into the existing security business infrastructure. Having confirmed its market potential at CES, where the patrol robot was recently showcased, the business is expected to accelerate.

On the 18th, SK Shielders announced that it is continuously pursuing commercialization, seeing the future growth potential of patrol robots. The patrol robot project was concretized last March through a joint development agreement with SK Telecom and Newbility. The reason for the joint development was that introducing autonomous driving robots would enable patrols in CCTV blind spots. Subsequently, the actual robot completed a one-month patrol duty at Duksung Women's University in Dobong-gu, Seoul, verifying its effectiveness. The robot autonomously navigated the campus, performing real-time monitoring and announcement broadcasts, and a survey of faculty and students showed that 90.2% were satisfied with the patrol robot.

SK Shielders is pushing forward with the project after receiving regulatory sandbox approval from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy for the ‘Autonomous Driving Patrol Robot Operation Demonstration.’ The patrol robot will be operated in five demonstration areas including Gangwon and Incheon over two years, with pilot operation starting last month at Songdo Central Park in Incheon. Here, the robot autonomously patrols high-risk areas 24/7. In case of abnormal situations, it coordinates with the National Police Agency control center for rapid incident response. An SK Shielders official explained, "We are utilizing patrol robots in urban areas in cooperation with the police, checking and improving the entire process from robot operation, control, to dispatch, and supplementing functions."

Patrol robot jointly developed by SK Shieldus and Newbility

To this end, SK Shielders equipped the robot with AI CCTV ‘Caps ViewGuard AI’ to enable it to analyze and judge abnormal behavior independently. This camera can clearly identify people and objects even at night, supporting efficient monitoring operations. Combining a security camera with an autonomous driving robot attracted attention at this CES as well. A Newbility official said, "The response was that it is a simple but smart idea, and there was high interest in adoption because it is not just a simple prototype but actually operating in the field," adding, "There are companies expressing interest in discussing introduction into the North and South American markets."

In fact, patrol robots are being introduced in the field in countries like the United States, raising the possibility of entering the global market. For example, the New York City Police Department introduced the ‘K5’ robot from U.S. security robot developer Knightscope for Manhattan patrols in April last year. Knightscope reported that after operating the patrol robot service for six months, actual police deployment rates decreased by 10%, crime incidents dropped by 46%, and arrest rates increased by 27%.

SK Shielders is expected to create a new market domestically through patrol robots and aim for global market entry together with the jointly developed startup. Lee Sang-min, CEO of Newbility, said, "We will develop and provide a highly complete patrol robot that protects citizens' daily lives in various environments," adding, "We plan to steadily prepare to have competitive technology and marketability in the global market as well."