The owner of the U.S. Bancorp Tower, Oregon’s largest office building, has deployed a remote-controlled security robot to help patrol the downtown property. The robot, weighing 420 pounds at 5-foot-5, began patrolling the perimeter of the parking garage next to the downtown building this month, according to Unico Properties, co-owner and manager of the 42-story “Big Pink” skyscraper. Nicknamed Rob, the robot is equipped with cameras to provide continuous video surveillance, speakers and a two-way intercom to allow security officers inside the building to speak with people outside. It also has the ability to read vehicle license plates, detect heat in objects and send out alerts “when banned individuals are on site,” Unico said in a news release. Erica Perez, a spokesperson for Unico Properties, said the robot is monitored and operated by personnel from a security desk inside the building. “The robot can speak, and the security team can listen and communicate through the robot,” Perez said. Perez said the new technology acts as a “supplement to the eyes and ears” of Unico’s security team and is “not a replacement” for personnel. The rollout of the robot comes as business and city leaders work to boost foot traffic and tourism in the downtown corridor. Keren Eichen, Unico’s director of real estate services, said in a statement that the area where the U.S. Bancorp Tower sits, known as Ankeny Triangle, “has really suffered” since the pandemic. Eichen said the company has been working with the city to make this part of downtown “a beautiful, walkable, must-see destination for locals and visitors alike.”
Full report : Security robot begins patrolling U.S. Bancorp Tower in downtown Portland.
