Robot dog, intelligent platform on display at security meet

Tech helps organisations stay ahead as threats become more complex: SBST CEO

- Vanessa Paige Chelvan

For the past three months, a dog named Mars has been helping security officers patrol the perimeter fence of Seletar Bus Depot.

Its ability to detect intruders—animal or human—and signs of tampering has made Mars "an indispensable member of the security team," public transport operator SBS Transit (SBST) said at its inaugural security symposium on Nov 20.

The mobile autonomous robotic surveillance (Mars) system—an all-terrain, all-weather robot powered by artificial intelligence (AI)—can cover a distance of about 15km before it needs to be charged.

In fact, "he likes challenging environments" and is ready for long-term deployment, said Dr Yanliang Zhang, managing director and chief scientist of Weston Robot—the local technology firm that built Mars—at the symposium held at YWCA Fort Canning.

As threats become more sophisticated, technology helps organizations stay ahead, SBST group chief executive Jeffrey Sim said.

Robots like Mars can augment—though not replace—the efforts of security officers, Mr Sim said.

For example, Mars can see better at night than the naked eye, and its thermal cameras can more easily detect animal or human forms from far away.