Vigilus security bot: The purple triangle of death (or scolding)

There are a lot of uses for robots today with law enforcement, security, and military personnel. The military, in particular, is making an ever-increasing use of robots for dangerous tasks such as clearing buildings where enemy soldiers may be hiding and searching for bombs. In the enterprise space, robots are being increasingly used to help a smaller number of humans patrol a larger area. A company called Gamma Two Robotics has announced a new robot called the Vigilus Mobile Camera System aimed at enterprise security.

The new robot is set to debut officially next month, and the bot is equipped with a web cam to let the security officer see what the robot sees. The autonomous robot works with a Command Console Interface allowing the movement of the robot to be viewed in real time. The command console can also interrupt autonomous activity of the robot and route the robot to a problem area.

The robot pictured in the company's press release set to be unveiled next week looks different from the prototype robots on the website carrying the same product name. Specifications from the Gamma Two robotics website list the weight for the robot at 110 pounds. The specs also say that the robot has a maximum runtime of 15 hours per charge and a normal runtime of 10 hours per charge.

A full charge takes four hours, and the robot measures 48-inches H x 24-inches W. The robot is set to be available in Q3 of 2012 the company doesn't offer specific pricing on the robot simply saying that it is priced at about the same as a typical security guards yearly salary. I don't know how much a security guard makes, but I would assume we're talking anywhere from the mid $20,000 range to the $30,000 range.