Pechanga Resort & Casino will use robots to enhance the security

Casinos are becoming the hubs of technological innovation as they are vying for the attention of customers who are becoming increasingly more demanding with the services they are offered. Not only do the providers have to go to great lengths to offer the visitors the most up-to-date games and tools in their locations, but it seems like the security is becoming all teched-up as well. Pechanga Resort & Casino, which is the largest casino in the state of California introduced two new high-tech robots to enhance its security measures.

Pechanga Resort is located in Temecula, California. It offers a gaming space that spans 19,000 square meters and over 4,500 slot machines along with other gambling products. Autonomous Data Machine K5, or as the staff at the resort like to refer to it – “Buddy”, will from now on be tasked with maintaining the security at the resort. This robot is 5 feet and 2 inches tall and about 3 feet wide, which makes it the height of a human. “Buddy” will be moving around the hotel and capturing the surroundings with its four cameras that are able to analyze an impressive number of 300 license plates a minute. It will help the security capture images that traditional surveillance cameras might not be able to see. The Knightscope K1, which got a nickname of “Rudy” will be controlling the premises, but unlike “Buddy” which will be gliding through the resort, “Rudy” will remain positioned just outside of the entrance.

The robots will help the security cover the angles that traditional surveillance cameras can’t reach

The security staff at the resort seems very enthusiastic about this new piece of technology that will aid them with their duties. They see huge benefits in having robots monitoring the casino. Robert Krauss who is the vice president of public safety at the resort commented on the news saying: “I had been looking for ways to increase visibility and security on the property. If we are not leaders in the industry we will fall behind and the one place not to fall behind in is security. Most cameras give us an overview. Now we are seeing things from a different perspective.”

The staff at Pechanga are not the only ones excited about the new robots. The customers have found them to be amusing and fascinating as well. The sight of a 5’2’’ robot casually moving around the resort, while you are playing roulette, feels something right out of a science fiction movie. Some visitors also think that the presence of these robots heightens the sense of security. Although people don’t know what exactly it is that these high-tech devices do, they feel more secure in their presence.

Some think that the robots will be helpful in active shooter situations as well

Stace Stephens, the executive vice president at Knightscope commented on another use these robots might be put to. It concerns a threat that has become very prominent in the United States recently and which hinders many people from enjoying their time in public places. “As of late people are talking about active shooter situations and how to bring those situations to some form of resolution. Instead of putting someone in harm’s way, we can potentially send in a robot to communicate with a threat or even help with a benign situation like someone in distress,” – Stephens said. “With what happened at the mass shooting in Las Vegas, we have to be on the cutting edge of safety. If people feel safe, they will keep coming back,” – Robert Krauss also commented on the issue.

The resort plans to get five more robots in the future

This will not be all for the robots at Pechanga. The resort plans to get five more robots that will be placed in various locations. Some of them will be stationary covering the entrances and filming people entering and exiting the resort, while others will monitor the parking. Some will be moving inside the premises to record the activity from an angle that wasn’t covered before. With the level of competition in the industry, it shouldn’t come as a surprise if other casinos resort to similar measures and start introducing robots in their locations as well, if not for security, then definitely for promotional purposes.