Many company websites boast terms like “agile,” “innovative,” “flexible,” and “customer-focused,” and they naturally claim to be able to present THE customized solution in the blink of an eye. But often, that “in the blink of an eye” turns into a drawn-out process, with countless preparations needed before everything works as desired. Does it have to be this way?
Our core services include Software as a Service (Saas) and Robot as a Service (RaaS), an approach that—due to the wide variety of clients, locations, projects, networks, interfaces, and so on—fundamentally requires a high degree of flexibility in thought and action. The Security Robotics Team’s speed and skill were put to the test once again during a long and hot day of filming in the heart of bustling Leipzig. And what do you think—how successful and “lightning-fast” were we?
Whether a local or a tourist in Leipzig, virtually every visitor to this “fair city” is familiar with the sight of the MDR skyscraper. Visually modeled after a TV screen, the headquarters of Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk rises 13 stories high south of downtown. Twenty-five years ago, the most modern ARD broadcasting facility was built on the site of a state-owned GDR slaughterhouse. Some of the old halls had to make way for the new building, but historic brick buildings, a small park, and a very expansive site overall remain.
The studio primarily produces news programs, various entertainment series, and, in our case, an episode for the MDR show “Einfach Genial.” This show aims to showcase innovations, cool inventions, and simply remarkable things from Central Germany—ranging from the practical ideas of “small-time” amateur inventors to approaches with global relevance. So it’s no wonder that people took notice of “the guys with the robots” and that we received an inquiry a few weeks before filming began.
We had already gained some experience working with production crews from regional stations, MDR aktuell, radio programs, and so on, so we were looking forward to what was to come. Dr. Köhler, who is an editor at Maximus Film, the production company behind segments for Galileo, the Discovery Channel, and various MDR programs, among others, visited our test site, met our team, inspected the robots, and quickly came up with an idea for the TV segment. Scheduled as a full day of filming, the plan was to present the robotic solutions on our site and demonstrate them in action together. This was supplemented by a few interviews, close-ups, etc.—nothing we hadn’t already shown or done many times before.
But if you want to present something in the best possible way to viewers who have never had any exposure to security robots, you sometimes have to rethink and redo things. And so the filming location shifted to the MDR grounds, the shoot took place day and night, and as a special treat on top of that, our task would be to uncover a (staged) theft.
Tuesday morning. One day before filming began, Mr. Köhler gave us a tour of the site, and we got a sense of its size, its many nooks and crannies, high-traffic zones, areas that would be used for filming, and others that were to be excluded. Securing such a winding site is quite different from securing a traditional factory building and its perimeter. Above all, however, it became clear that we could rely neither on a stable cellular network nor on Wi-Fi coverage.
Let’s summarize: We weren’t completely familiar with the terrain, had inadequate geographic data, unreliable communication channels, and little time to set up networks, map out patrol routes, conduct test runs, set up a command center, demonstrate all the robots, and finally catch a perpetrator in the act—in the dead of night. Sounds like a challenging and exciting day 🙂
Wednesday morning, filming day: We had already loaded one van the night before, and a second one followed. We packed the vans to the brim with monitors, cables, masts, tools, charging stations, batteries, laptops, the robots themselves, and all sorts of odds and ends, then headed south toward Leipzig. To spice things up a bit, we were expecting the hottest temperatures of the year so far—nearly 40°C…in the shade! A real test of endurance for both people and equipment.
Wednesday at noon. We treated ourselves to a light meal in the MDR cafeteria and enjoyed sitting in the shade. But we didn’t have much time for a break, because the start of filming—at 4:00 p.m.—was fast approaching. So back out into the sun we went. In the meantime, we had designated a launch site for the BEEHIVE drone system and drawn a virtual fence around the authorized flight zone. Outside of that zone, nothing exists for the flying robot—it can neither fly there nor see or record anything. The charging stations for ARGUS and SPOT were placed in very central locations, ensuring sustained operations—after all, the robots navigate to these positions autonomously and recharge themselves.
Wednesday afternoon, 4:00 p.m. We met up with the film crew—consisting of two camera operators, a sound engineer, the director, Mr. Köhler, and the host of “Simply Brilliant“Henriette Fee Grützner. Every film, I suppose, aims to build suspense, tell a story, and feel ‘complete.’ That’s why we decided to shoot a wide variety of scenes—introductory ones, individual shots with the Robots in a wide variety of environments, indoors and outdoors—robots demonstrating their off-road capabilities, etc. The technicians expertly prepared their equipment for operation, then headed off to Scene 1.
Wednesday evening, 9 p.m., twilight. Despite the scorching sun and occasional minor technical glitches, most of the scenes were in the can. ARGUS, SPOT, and BEE reliably demonstrated their capabilities—driving, running, flying, and letting us marvel at them as they navigated around obstacles and were even manually controlled by Henriette. We explained details—including those related to networking, software development, and the integration of robots into existing security solutions. We discussed at length the core competency of Security Robotics, which lies not in the sale of robots, but rather in the Software development for platform solutions is essential to make integration, machine-to-machine communication, and networking possible in the first place and ensure their sustainable use.
Wednesday, 11 p.m. As the highlight of the day—and as practical proof of the efficiency of robotic security systems—a test had been devised. A perpetrator—who, of course, was not a real one, but who, to make things more exciting, is actually a security expert working in the industry and knows all the tricks of the trade—would attempt to enter the secured area unseen and undetected and steal items from a box. Our task was to detect the crime and notify the control center. To ensure fairness, the young man had not only researched the robots’ capabilities but also scouted the premises. So he knew where each system was located, the approximate range of their sensors, and what data would be displayed on our monitors.
Wednesday, midnight. The three of us—Henriette and we—sat in front of the monitors in our makeshift command center, waiting for the culprit to approach the stolen goods, as part of his mission. Meanwhile, ARGUS followed its programmed route, SPOT checked in on various critical hotspots, and BEE took off regularly for aerial patrols. The overlapping sensor ranges and a wide variety of camera types (normal light, 360°, low-light, infrared, etc.)—working in tandem with the robots—provided us with a comprehensive picture of the situation. But the culprit was also clever. Time and again, he would appear very briefly on the outskirts of the scene, then retreat, evading the individual robots and creeping closer and closer to the object. Finally, skillfully using the many bushes, trees, and shady corners to his advantage, he reached the box, believed himself to be safe, and opened it.
At that very moment—caught red-handed, so to speak—we intervened. The masked individual had long since been detected by a drone, flagged, and reported to the control center, which immediately dispatched another robot. This is standard procedure for verifying potential alarm situations and intervening when necessary. While the security robots normally follow their routines with 100% reliability, unaffected by weather, temperature, or darkness, it has proven effective to take direct control in the event of an alarm. Except that in this case, no security guard set out—instead, SPOT ran purposefully to the scene of the alarm. Taken by surprise, the perpetrator tried to hide behind the box or at least avoid being identified. Recognized, identified, and—at that very moment—addressed directly, live, and loudly, he had no choice but to flee. Mission accomplished!
Thursday, very early in the morning. When, after intensive preparations and hours of filming, the long day ends with a clear success, the tension literally falls away, even from the strongest shoulders. And so the now “unmasked” actor, the film crew, and our team gathered in the lobby of the MDR high-rise. Here at the control center—which we were able to set up in the perfect spot thanks to the helpful support of the MDR in-house technicians (thanks, guys!)—we came together for a final scene and a “debriefing.”
The actor playing the intruder, in particular, was impressed by the capabilities of the networked robots and told us about the difficulties and grueling attempts he faced just trying to enter and cross the premises. Time and again, he had to abort his attempts, find new routes, and spend a great deal of time doing so. The break-in attempt failed after just a few seconds and ended in a hasty escape. According to the security expert, a less well-prepared burglar would be detected much more quickly—and, it should be emphasized, by a makeshift security system! It takes little imagination to realize what a comprehensive, networked, and precisely tailored system of mobile security solutions is capable of: connected, supported, and controlled by innovative platform software.
Thursday, 2 a.m. Eighteen hours had passed, from the time we loaded the vans until we parked them at our test site. Despite showing clear signs of fatigue, we parted ways in good spirits and feeling a little proud, because Security Robotics had shown what was possible.
Just brilliant, isn’t it?