GXO Logistics has announced it has deployed advanced air and ground security robotics at one of its major distribution centers in Clayton, Ind., and plans to significantly increase deployment of automated security systems across other sites within the next year.
The DroneDog and DroneSentry duo, integrated with the DroneCore security platform from Asylon, Inc., are security technologies of the future, providing high-quality data and onsite activity updates that can detect potential issues in real time and simultaneously report them to the security team.
“We launched the DroneDog and DroneSentry advanced security system at a customer’s facility that is more than 1 million square feet and requires a 24/7 security presence to safeguard our people and the products,” said Thomas Nelson, Senior Director of Security at GXO. “The combination of air and ground robotics gives us superb live video feed, including infrared vision for nighttime patrols, that we can operate, evaluate and respond to in real time.”
GXO has already used these robotic assets to conduct more than 12,000 patrols or first-responder missions. The company also has used these robotic assets to investigate and clear alarms, as well as complete video-verified security audits. This technology is detecting potential issues in real time while making the environment safer for team members and securing the customer’s products.
Michael Quiroga, Asylon Chief Revenue Officer, said, “The Asylon team is delighted to be deploying this technology at scale with GXO. DroneCore is a first-of-its-kind air and ground security robotics platform and is a perfect fit for the security and safety needs at GXO’s sites. And, while the technology has been proving itself as an effective deter-and-detect system, we’re equally excited to partner with GXO to open upskilling opportunities and create new jobs as part of our goal to help build the workforce of the future.”
The aerial drone and ground robot are controllable and can be monitored through a network, empowering associates to respond to alarms or dangerous events more quickly. Automated robots are providing upskilling opportunities for team members as they receive training on how to effectively operate the technology and proactively create safer facilities.
The Asylon DroneDog system is connected wirelessly to the cloud and features a security payload, a weatherized charging station and the Boston Dynamics’ Spot platform, which is an agile mobile robot that easily traverses uneven terrain, climbs stairs and autonomously avoids obstacles.
The DroneDog system has already logged more than 600 miles on patrol at the facility. It works alongside the DroneSentry system, which includes a weatherized base station for autonomous landing and battery swapping. The two technologies offer different vantage points and can quickly place a camera with a 20x optical zoom wherever it is needed, 24 hours a day. Together, they significantly expand security capabilities, covering more area in less time than traditional surveillance methods.
Asylon, the developer of DroneCore, also supplies experts who work from a 24/7/365 central control room in Pennsylvania to remotely operate these systems and analyze the security data collected in real time to keep the space safe and secure for GXO team members.
To welcome the DroneDog “pup” to its new home, GXO says it held a company-wide naming contest. The winner: GiXmO, which was submitted by both Rusty Morgan and Kelsey Thomas, GXO team members who work in Missouri and Tennessee, respectively.
