Security Robot Reports for Duty at the National Veterans Memorial and Museum

Badger Technologies’ autonomous robot integrates with TrackTik Software to support security guard operations at the National Veterans Memorial and Museum.

Rob Spiegel

November 9, 2021

On November 11, Badger’s robot will be live and streaming for a Veterans Day event. Badger Technologies collaborated with TrackTik Software to automate manual security checks at the National Veterans Memorial and Museum (NVMM) in Columbus, Ohio. The deployment is a pilot program that uses Badger’s PatrolBot autonomous robot and TrackTik software to augment the museum’s 24/7 security team. The goal is to safeguard exhibits and offer an extra measure of protection to museum visitors and staff. 

The NVMM is a memorial dedicated to telling the stories of veterans. The robot is part of a program that honors the service of women in the military. In the spirit of this honor, the robot has been named “Deborah” after Deborah Sampson, a Massachusetts native who disguised herself as a man to serve in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, Deborah is one of several women with a documented record of military combat experience in that war. 

Here’s an example of a Badger Technologies robot patrolling retail space.

Museum leaders explained that the robot is a fitting symbol of the military’s use of emerging technology to improve US defense operations. “The museum is pleased to pilot this autonomous security robot while honoring one of the nation’s first female heroes of the American Revolution,” said Col. William J. Butler, US Army (retired) and chief of staff at the National Veterans Memorial and Museum. “Our ability to extend security guard operations using robotics also builds on a military tradition of leveraging leading-edge technologies to continuously improve operations.” 

Related:Want a Trip to the Uncanny Valley? Check Out These Service Robots

Badger’s PatrolBot is equipped with streaming video cameras for security purposes. In the first phases of the deployment, the robot will navigate automatically around exhibits and people to verify that windows, doors, and exhibits are secured and properly sealed. In the second phase, the robot will verify that floors are free of debris and potential hazards. To accomplish this, the Badger PatrolBot will use TrackTik’s Application Programming Interface (API) to streamline security guard tour scheduling, real-time checkpoint logging, incident reporting, GPS tracking, messaging, and alerts.

About the Author

Rob Spiegel

Rob Spiegel serves as a senior editor for Design News. He started with Design News in 2002 as a freelancer covering sustainability issues, including the transistion in electronic components to RoHS compliance. Rob was hired by Design News as senior editor in 2011 to cover automation, manufacturing, 3D printing, robotics, AI, and more.

Prior to his work with Design News, Rob worked as a senior editor for Electronic News and Ecommerce Business. He served as contributing editolr to Automation World for eight years, and he has contributed to Supply Chain Management Review, Logistics Management, Ecommerce Times, and many other trade publications. He is the author of six books on small business and internet commerce, inclluding Net Strategy: Charting the Digital Course for Your Company's Growth.

He has been published in magazines that range from Rolling Stone to True Confessions.

Rob has won a number of awards for his technolloghy coverage, including a Maggy Award for a Design News article on the Jeep Cherokee hacking, and a Launch Team award for Ecommerce Business. Rob has also won awards for his leadership postions in the American Marketing Association and SouthWest Writers.

Before covering technology, Rob spent 10 years as publisher and owner of Chile Pepper Magazine, a national consumer food publication. He has published hundreds of poems and scores of short stories in national publications.

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