Pechanga Resort Casino in Riverside County, California will be adding four robot security drones that will join two called “R2D2” and “Doctor Who” that it deployed less than a year ago.
Robert Krauss, vice president of public safety of the largest casino resort on the West Coast, told the World Gaming Protection Conference in Las Vegas last week that the robots are a success and will be adding facial recognition software.
One of the existing robots is stationary and greets visitors at the main entrance. The other is mobile and patrols the hotel lobby and atrium. The new robots will also be stationary.
“It’s a huge success!” said Krauss. “They work. We have all these entrances. The first one was a test to see how people reacted and how it worked. It’s been fantastic. People’s take on them is it’s a fun thing, and that they’re really protecting them and making them safer. It’s a way for Pechanga to show the dedication to the safety and security of our patrons.”
The resort will also be adding flying drones with thermal imaging and night vision to patrol over the property from the air, including the golf course, said Krauss. Besides vandals and other unauthorized visitors, the drones will spot fires early on.
The cost to operate the robots is $7 to $8/hour, 24-hours da day. The robots have prevented vandalism, thefts and other problems where they are stationed, he said.
He says he isn’t using the robots to replace people, but to help them work more effectively.
The public, especially the kids, likes the robots, said Krauss, and calls them after well-known robots from science fiction film and TV. They are happy to ask questions of the robots and take “selfies” with them.
The casino resort made the decision to add the robots after the calamitous October 1, 2017 sniper shooting in Las Vegas where 58 people were killed.
Krauss calls this being “proactive” instead of “reactive.”
