$230 robot guards people's homes

Drones and robotics are increasingly getting used for private security. This has been especially useful in the commercial sector, where sentry robots are already being adopted. Fortunately, the technology is becoming affordable enough to sell to average consumers. These robots might not be as full featured as the kinds rolling around large, private facilities, but they do give consumers access to an affordable roving patrol of their property. That is why iPatrol’s Appbot Riley exists. The company calls Riley “the robot that will change the world.”

Besides being cute and somewhat reminiscent of Pixar’s Wall-E, Riley is able to monitor homes using an embedded 5MP HD camera while traveling around on continuous tracks such as tanks. Riley includes night vision and motion detection, which are important features in home security cameras these days. It gives users control and keeps them informed through a smartphone app, which includes live streaming from Riley’s camera. Users can likewise talk to people in the house through built-in speakers and a microphone.

Riley might not be as sophisticated as commercial security robots, but it does offer users a unique way to monitor their homes for $229. The Verge said “this is a toy mainly for kids” because “an intruder is going to be deterred by” Riley. To be fair, security cameras have never deterred crimes as much as they have been used to help identify the perpetrators. Security cameras are generally not very threatening, whether they come in the form of roving drones and robots or stationary devices.

Importantly, Riley is not an isolated case. Robotics makers are thinking seriously about how their technology can be used to improve home security. Since security is one of the top reasons people look into setting up a smart home, this is an area more robotics companies should look into.