
*A robotic change has come to a jail in Cobb County, Georgia. Media sources with Fox 5 Atlanta report that three new state-of-the-art DEKA Sentry Robots were unveiled on Oct. 23.
The move, which marks the first time robots are being utilized in a U.S. jail, is part of an effort to enhance security at the Cobb County facility. For Sheriff Craig Owens, the robots are a welcome sight, as they make good use of technology to work better with their human counterparts.
“I think we can work smarter with technology and not harder,” he told Fox 5 Atlanta. “Allows me to shift manpower from other places inside the facility to get more things done.”
The lawman voiced his belief that he is the first to deploy robots in a jail in the United States, adding that the “Jail bots” will assist deputies with perimeter patrols and security rounds in dorms.”
Overall, the unveiling of the robots marks a new chapter for law enforcement. Standing nearly six feet tall, the robotic trio will be equipped with 360 cameras, night vision and heat detection while providing continuous surveillance and real-time communications.

The pilot program involving the robots is slated to last 90 days. Although they are programmed to navigate the Cobb County jail independently, a live operator will control the robots for more complex tasks.
“I think it’s going to be a game changer for the whole corrections industry because it will allow us to be a lot safer, more efficient,” Sheriff Owens predicted while touting the benefits of the alliance with his deputies and inmates being safer as well as human error having a reduced presence at the jail.
Overall, the law leader sees the goal of testing the robots as a move into the future. The best part, he says is that it doesn’t cost him a thing at this time.
“Here’s a good thing, robots don’t call out sick, they don’t take vacations,” said Sheriff Owens. “All they need to do is be charged.”

On an efficiency note, DEKA is supportive of AI technology. With that, the company mentioned how artificial intelligence will help spot issues and notify the appropriate deputies.
“We’re hoping it will become the basis of another one of our technologies, going from indefensible to indispensable as quickly as possible,” DEKA founder and CEO Dean Kamen said.
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