Contextual automated surveillance by a mobile robot
A mobile robot is configured for operation in a commercial or industrial setting, such as an office building or retail store. The robot can patrol one or more routes within a building, and can detect violations of security policies by objects, building infrastructure and security systems, or individuals. In response to the detected violations, the robot can perform one or more security operations. The robot can include a removable fabric panel, enabling sensors within the robot body to capture signals that propagate through the fabric. In addition, the robot can scan RFID tags of objects within an area, for instance coupled to store inventory. Likewise, the robot can generate or update one or more semantic maps for use by the robot in navigating an area and for measuring compliance with security policies.
1. A mobile robot, comprising:
a motorized base configured to move the mobile robot within a building;
a wireless transceiver configured to communicatively couple to a remote security system;
a camera system configured to capture a first image at a first time and a second image at a second time after the first time of a location within a proximity of the mobile robot, the first image and the second image each comprising an image of two or more people; and
a controller configured to:
identify a difference between the first image and the second image;
in response to the identified difference between the first image and the second image being greater than a first threshold and comprising a movement of a first of the one or more people away from the remaining one or more people, provide the first image and the second image to the remote security system via the wireless transceiver for review by a human operator; and
in response to the identified difference between the first image and the second image being less than the first threshold, perform a security operation without providing the first image and the second image to the human operator and without human operator intervention.
2. The mobile robot of claim 1 , wherein the camera system is configured to capture the second image in response to detecting motion at the location.
3. The mobile robot of claim 1 , wherein the camera system is configured to capture the second image in response to the passage of an interval of time.
4. The mobile robot of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to cause the mobile robot to monitor the first of the one or more people.
5. The mobile robot of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to provide images of a face of each of the one or more people to the human operator.
6. The mobile robot of claim 1 , wherein the identified difference between the first image and the second image is greater than the first threshold further in response to the second image indicating that an object present in the first image is not present in the second image.
7. The mobile robot of claim 1 , wherein the identified difference between the first image and the second image is greater than the first threshold further in response to the second image indicating that a door or window that was closed in the first image is open.
8. The mobile robot of claim 1 , wherein the first threshold decreases over time such that the greater the amount of time between the first time and the second time, the smaller the difference between the first image and the second image that is required to be greater than the first threshold.
9. The mobile robot of claim 1 , wherein performing the security operation comprises continuing on a patrol route.
10. The mobile robot of claim 1 , wherein performing the security operation comprises monitoring the location for a period of time.
11. The mobile robot of claim 1 , wherein performing the security operation comprises capturing additional images of the location.
12. A mobile robot, comprising:
a motorized base configured to move the mobile robot within a building;
a wireless transceiver configured to communicatively couple to a remote security system;
a camera system configured to capture an image of a location within a proximity of the mobile robot, the captured image comprising an image of two or more people; and
a controller configured to:
determine if the captured image is indicative of a security violation by determining if a first of the one or more people moved away from the remaining one or more people;
in response to determining that the captured image is indicative of a security violation, provide the image to the remote security system via the wireless transceiver for review by a human operator; and
in response to determining that the captured image is not indicative of a security violation, perform a security operation without providing the image to the human operator and without human operator intervention.
13. The mobile robot of claim 12 , wherein determining that the image is indicative of a security violation further comprises determining that the first person is not authorized to be in the location.
14. The mobile robot of claim 12 , wherein determining that the image is indicative of a security violation further comprises determining that the first person is performing an unauthorized activity.
15. The mobile robot of claim 12 , wherein determining that the image is indicative of a security violation further comprises determining that the first person does not possess required security credentials or cannot be identified.
16. The mobile robot of claim 12 , wherein the image further comprises an image of an object, and wherein determining that the image is indicative of a security violation further comprises determining that the object is misplaced, broken, in an unauthorized location, or in an unauthorized state.
17. The mobile robot of claim 12 , wherein the controller, in response to determining that the image is indicative of a security violation, is further configured to capture, via the camera system, one or more additional images of the location.
18. A mobile robot, comprising:
a motorized base configured to move the mobile robot along a route;
a camera system configured to capture a first image at a first time and a second image at a second time after the first time of a location within a proximity of the mobile robot, the first image and the second image each comprising an image of two or more people; and
a controller configured to:
identify a difference between the first image and the second image;
in response to the identified difference between the first image and the second image being greater than a first threshold and comprising a movement of a first of the one or more people away from the remaining one or more people, perform a security operation without human operator intervention; and
in response to the identified difference between the first image and the second image being less than the first threshold, continue to move the mobile robot along the route without performing a security operation.