ISC West: Aptonomy Unveils Security Drone Prototype

The concept of a flying security guard sounds like the next Jean-Claude Van Damme epic as well as a darn great idea for building security. For one Bay-Area startup, the idea may just revolutionize the security tech sector.

On April 6, robotics firm Aptonomy unveiled a prototype UAV “for securing large properties” during ISC West, a large-scale, annual trade show for security companies in Las Vegas.

The drones are expected to be available for lease by 2017. Company officials say the system “verifies alarms within seconds” and deploys a drone to film potential intruders and deliver a barrage of bright lights and loud sounds to deter would-be burglars.

“We are thrilled to share the initial prototype of our security drone with the industry at ISC West this year,” said Mihail Pivtoraiko, Aptonomy co-founder.  “We are able to leverage over 25 years of robotics research and development expertise, combined, to bring this cutting-edge drone solution to the security marketplace.”

Pivtoraiko launched Aptonomy with his Carnegie-Mellon PhD classmate Siddharth Sanan as a means to “to leverage cutting-edge robotics technology for the peace of mind of property owners.”

“What separates us from the competition is our advanced proprietary algorithms and robotics know-how to make our drones smart, safe and user-friendly,” said Sanan.

Roving security drones are a growing sub-sector of the overall security UAV market.

In December, Japanese company SeCom announced the development of a “drone guard dog” – a $6,000 commercial-security drone designed to roam factories and commercial buildings and investigate suspicious activity, sending a stream of live-video to its human counterparts. Like Aptonomy’s prototype, Secom’s drones use motion detectors, the drone shines the light of justice on would-be intruders with a bright LED display and can send laser beams across a perimeter to establish a secure zone.

UAV firm Galileo also launched the Alpha drone last year as an Indiegogo project. The 1.5-pound quadcopter employs low-illumination IR cameras, HD 1080p cams, LIDAR, GPS to set up a geo-fence around a tract of property that couples with “Sensor Nodes” placed around the property, allowing Alpha to patrol within a perimeter without bumping into objects or trespassing in to neighboring tracts.